Overjoyed
by StarsHollowGazette2010
Summary: A story that follows Luke and Lorelai in the aftermath of their kiss in Bon Voyage. They work together to heal themselves and each other as they try to rebuild what they should have had. Some fluff, some drama, with appearances made by Rory and other favorite characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello fellow readers!**

 **I'm sure all of you are just as excited as I am for November 25. Having just finished the series rewatch and in my impatience for the revival's long awaited appearance, I had this idea tossing around in my head. It's a one shot for now, showing how Luke and Lorelai decide to fix things. I may (and probably will) add to it when I have the time, but for now enjoy!**

When Lorelai finally pulled away from Luke's embrace, from the kiss that was far more passionate than the ones she'd received leading up to that fateful night in this very same spot, she looked up to meet his gaze. She smiled softly at the nerves, concern, hope and…she dared to hope love reflecting back at her. She reached up to kiss him again, cupping his cheeks and he rested his forehead against hers when they pulled away.

"I can't believe you did all this," Lorelai whispered.

"Rory deserves the best," Luke murmured.

Lorelai smiled as she took a step back and looked into his eyes. "After everything, I can't believe you're still here," she whispered. "For Rory."

"She's still Rory," he said, which she knew was his explanation of how much her daughter meant to him. No matter how he'd felt about her in the past, he'd always been there for Rory.

She offered him a smile and asked, "Know where a girl could get a good cup of coffee?"

He shook his head slightly as he looked at her, amusement written across his features. "Go ahead."

Ten minutes later, she was sitting at her usual stool, her favorite mug in front of her, filled with her favorite coffee, poured by her favorite man. "This reminds me of old times."

"You mean the times you repeatedly proved that the word closed means nothing to you and walked in demanding coffee," he said.

"Yeah, well, my good friend Luke was also there to lend a listening ear," Lorelai replied with a soft smile. She took a sip of her coffee and watched him watch her, then asked, "I know we messed up big time, Luke, and I want to talk about those things, I really do."

"But?" he prompted, well versed in her ability to talk around a topic.

"But tonight is Rory's night," Lorelai said, glancing back to the town square.

"I know," he nodded.

"And tomorrow is going to be so hard," Lorelai said. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of dropping Rory off at the airport with no knowledge of when she'd see her again. "Regardless of the past two years and what's happening now, I think I'm really going to need Friend Luke."

He nodded as he reached out to rub a gentle hand over her arm. "I'll be here," he promised. "Call me when you leave the airport and I'll have a fresh stack of pancakes waiting."

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "You're too much," she whispered.

"You okay?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Fighting the urge to put up her mask of emotion, Lorelai shook her head. "No," she said. "God, Luke, I'm going to miss her so much."

"I know you are," he said.

Her head snapped up at his tone and she clapped a hand over his mouth. "Oh, Luke, I didn't mean to…"

"I know you didn't."

"Here I am, already messing this up," she sighed. "Way to go, Gilmore."

"It's fine, Lorelai, really," Luke said. "I do miss April. But that just gives me some experience to draw from for my friend who has to say goodbye to her own kid tomorrow."

Lorelai nodded as she looked at him. "Thanks," she whispered.

"I have something for you," he murmured.

"Oh, Luke, after tonight you never have to…" Her voice trailed off as he dangled a necklace in front of her. "It's beautiful" she said, reaching out to take it.

"I know we're putting a hold on things for a bit," he nodded. "But I should have given this to you when I bought it. I want you to have it."

"When did you buy it?" she asked as she took the clasp off the necklace she was currently wearing.

"When I bought Rory's present," Luke admitted. "I was in Liz's store and as you know, I can never walk in there without something for you in hand."

Lorelai giggled. "I remember," she said. "You know how to spoil a girl."

"Only when they deserve to be spoiled," he said.

"Well, us Gilmore girls deserve that if nothing else," Lorelai agreed. She fastened the necklace and looked up at him. "How does it look?" she asked.

His eyes lingered on the necklace for a long moment before he looked up to meet her gaze evenly. "Beautiful," he said in a low voice.

Lorelai couldn't help the blush that crept over her cheeks as she took another long sip of her coffee.

"Can you bring Rory in for breakfast tomorrow?" he asked to change the topic.

She offered him a sympathetic smile. "I'd love that, Luke, and so would she, but she has a really early flight. I've got to be on the road to the airport by five."

"I'll open up."

She looked up at him in surprise. "You wouldn't mind?" she asked.

"I've been known to feed and caffeinate Gilmores after hours from time to time," he said, glancing pointedly around the diner.

"Okay, but it will be really early," Lorelai emphasized to him. "Even for you."

"Four sound good?"

"Four sounds perfect," Lorelai said. "Thank you, Luke."

"You don't have to keep thanking me," he said softly.

"Not for this," she said. "I mean, yeah, but just for…being you. Tonight, seeing what you've done for Rory, for me, it's like I'm seeing the Luke that I…." She shook her head and finished her coffee. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied with a knowing smile.

"I should get back out there," Lorelai said. "Rory's over the moon, Luke, really. When she thought she wasn't going to be able to see everyone, she was so worried, and now she's so happy."

"I like seeing her happy too," Luke shrugged.

"Don't stay behind the grill tonight, okay?" she asked. "Come party with us town folk."

"I will," he said, moving around the counter to walk out with her. When he placed a gentle hand on her back to show her out the door she felt the tingles in her stomach return, and she smiled as she walked beside him back to the party.

"Where have you been?" Rory asked, appearing beside her as she watched Luke drop off the long awaited charcoal at the grill.

Lorelai smiled softly at her daughter. "With a cute boy," she replied.

Rory smiled knowingly. "Yeah, I saw," she said. "What's the deal?"

"No deal, just…thanking him for tonight."

"Wait, Luke did this?" Rory asked. "I thought it was Sookie."

"Me too," Lorelai said, looking up at the collection of tents and tarps that were perfectly stretched over the square. "But it was all Luke."

Before she'd realized what was happening, Rory was gone from her side, dragging Luke from the grill to the side of the tent. She saw Rory looking up at him expectantly as Luke waved his arms in self conscious dismissal. After a moment, Rory stepped forward and wrapped him tightly around his neck. Seeing the two most important people in her life embracing, Lorelai felt tears fill her eyes again, and she looked up at the sky.

"Pull it together, Gilmore," she said.

XXXXX

When Luke had placed their breakfasts in front of him the next morning, Lorelai looked up at him and asked, "Got a minute to join us?"

Luke's eyes flashed with uncertainty, but Rory looked up at him expectantly, and he nodded. "Sure, I think I can handle that."

The identical expression of joy that lit up both girls' faces warmed his heart, and he sat down to enjoy his own breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, letting himself bask in the presence of Lorelai and Rory, their witty banter so familiar and still completely endearing to him.

When Lorelai headed to the restroom after she'd finished, Rory took a sip of her coffee and examined him closely. "Thank you again, Luke," she said. "For this, for last night, for…everything."

Luke smiled as he leaned towards her slightly. "You deserve it," he informed her.

Rory ducked her head self consciously, but then met his gaze. "Can I ask you to do one more thing for me?" she asked.

"I'll make sure she's okay," Luke promised. "Even with all our stuff, I'll make sure she'll be okay. I promise, Rory."

Rory nodded. "Thank you," she said.

"What is it?" Luke asked, knowing there was more.

"Let her come to you," she said. "Mom's heart is so big and she just wants to be there for the people she loves."

Regret washed over him as he processed Rory's words. "We're working on it, kid, I promise we'll do our best not to screw this up this time."

"Good," Rory said. She was quiet before she said, "I was mad at her too, you know. What she did wasn't okay."

As well intended as Rory's comments were, Luke didn't want to discuss the past with Rory before he did so with Lorelai. ""All you need to do is go out there and show the world what you can do," Luke said. "Everyone here already knows that."

Rory smilled. "Okay," she said.

The sadness on Lorelai's face was evident as she walked back to the table. "All right, kid, I know it's dangerous to leave Luke's if you're not appropriately ready, but we've really got to hit the road."

"Let me just use the bathroom," Rory said, taking a final sip of coffee and heading towards the back.

Lorelai nodded and remained standing, offering Luke a brave smile as he stood to meet her. "Two more hours," she said. "I just have to keep smiling for two more hours."

Luke reached out to rub her shoulder. "You can do it," he informed her.

She surprised him by stepping into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder as if to draw strength. She remained cuddled there for a long moment before she pulled back and straightened her spine, flashing her fake, pretend everything is okay smile. "I'll come back after the airport," she said. "See what this place looks like in the daylight."

"Be careful driving, okay?" he requested. "Don't get on the road until you're ready."

"I will," Lorelai said, smiling at his concern.

"Okay, I'm ready," Rory said.

"Hang on," Luke moved to the counter and held a cup of to go coffee out to both of them, then walked them out the door. He offered Lorelai a hand squeeze and a quick smile before she climbed into the driver seat, then turned to Rory as she opened the passenger door. "Take care of yourself, okay?" he requested.

"I will, thanks, Luke," she said.

Luke nodded realizing he was just as emotional now as he had been when he'd seen April off to New Mexico. "And if you need anything…"

"I know," Rory said. "See you soon, Luke."

"See you soon, Rory," he said, offering her a warm embrace.

Rory smiled at him one last time as she climbed into the car. Luke stood on the corner as he watched them take off, raising a hand into the air as a final goodbye before he turned and walked into the diner, a heavy weight in his stomach.

XXXXX

Three and a half hours later, Luke abandoned his task of explaining to Kirk why he couldn't use Canadian money to pay for his breakfast when he saw Lorelai walk into the diner. She stood in the doorway for a moment, staring at the spot where she and Rory had eaten that morning before she turned and headed for him at a breakneck pace, not stopping until she was behind the counter and in his arms, dropping her purse onto the floor beside her with a thud. Not caring what the patrons of the breakfast rush thought, Luke wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, knowing she needed a moment to regroup.

When she pulled away her cheeks were wet and she wiped at them. "Sorry," she murmured. "I broke your counter rule."

"Like that's ever stopped you before," Luke said good naturedly.

Lorelai shook her head as tried to regain her strength. "Can we take a walk or something?" she asked. "I know it's probably busy, but I just need some air."

"Sure," Luke said quickly, tossing his notepad on the counter. "Go wait outside, I'll just tell Cesar I'm leaving."

"Okay," Lorelai said.

Five minutes later, he was standing in front of her on the sidewalk, a cup of coffee in one hand and a food bag in the other. "In case you need nourishments."

"You know me well," Lorelai said. He couldn't help that she hadn't even tried to smile, but she took the items gratefully. She stashed the food in her purse and took the coffee, taking a long sip.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head as she looked around. "I wanted to find somewhere neutral, but that's pretty hard to do in this town," she said.

"We've made a lot of memories," Luke agreed. "How about the lake?"

Lorelai smiled as she remembered many a late night walk around the lake over the years. "Okay," she said.

They were both quiet as they set off, and Luke tried not to be too obvious as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. She'd forgone make up that morning, but still looked beautiful, even with her sadness written over her face. Wanting to make her feel better but not wanting to cross any lines that had yet to be drawn, Luke took a few long steps before he reached for her hand, offering it a squeeze and then loosening his grip, leaving the next step up to her.

Lorelai didn't say anything, but her fingers laced through his and she squeezed back, not ready to let go.

When they'd reached the lake, Lorelai pointed to a point near a small cluster of trees. "Can we sit?"

"Sure," Luke said, following her. Lorelai sat down easily, crossing her legs and taking a long sip of coffee as she looked out at the water.

"I used to bring Rory here," Lorelai said. "After we moved from the Independence Inn, she missed the water, so in the summer we'd walk here and count stars."

"That's a nice memory," Luke murmured.

"I tried to convince her to ice skate in the winter but she was never interested," Lorelai continued. "But you know that."

Luke smiled at the memory of Rory's first ice skating experience. "She refused to let go of me," he said. "Meanwhile, you completely left me in the lurch to jump and twirl."

"She liked you from the start," Lorelai said, taking a long swig of her coffee.

"She's okay?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I watched her get through security," Lorelai said. "It was so hard, Luke. Even leaving her at Yale wasn't this hard. I could get in my car and see her whenever I wanted. Now I don't even know when I'll see her again."

"They tend to grow up."

"Too fast," Lorelai murmured. She took another long sip of coffee and then put the cup aside, staring at the lake for a long moment. Luke watched as she turned to look at him, angling her entire body so she was facing him, her eyes searching his.

"I want to tell you something," she said.

"You can tell me anything," he promised.

"I…" she shook her head before she could tell another lie to her self or to him. She _didn't_ know. And it wouldn't help either of them to say that she did.

"Lorelai?" he prompted her.

"You're going to be the third person in the world to know this," Lorelai informed him. "Not even Rory knows. And she can't know. No one can know, Luke, ever."

Curious, he nodded. "Okay."

"Say it," Lorelai said. "I'm taking a huge leap of faith trusting you here, but I need you to know."

Hating that Lorelai had any doubts about trusting him, but understanding why she did, he looked her square in the eye and nodded. "No one knows."

"Thank you." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them. She was clearly struggling with whatever she had to say to him. "You should know that for the past few months, since…since I've been by myself for the first time ever, really, I've been…seeing a therapist."

Completely taken by surprise, Luke leaned back as he examined her, trying to figure out the most appropriate reaction. Lorelai, true to form, read his thoughts and reached out to touch his arm. "Let me get this out, okay? This is really hard to explain, and I want to be able to explain without losing the courage I've worked up." He nodded silently, and her eyes briefly reflected gratitude before they changed to fear and then determination.

"After…Christopher," it seemed to be painful for Lorelai to even say that name, "left, I realized that I have some serious issues that I've been hiding for too long. And last year, before that pathetic night of begging you, I'd met this woman at my parents' house. She was a therapist of some kind and the poor woman ended up with me, broken and confused in her backseat, pouring my heart out about you and our relationship and everything. It had felt so good just to unload on someone who had no investment in my life, who had no opinions on the people I was talking about or my feelings about anything. Just an impartial party, letting me talk and offering their judgement free, real world advice and thoughts. So when I was alone again, missing you and facing life really on my own, I realized that I wanted that again. Someone to talk to who wasn't my friend or family member or neighbor. Just a random person, certified in dealing with the tangled lives of people like me, with so many cobwebs in their head they can't see straight." She paused to collect herself, and he tilted his head to the side to let her know that he was still listening. "I've been driving to New London once a week," she said. "I wanted to go far so there wasn't any chance of me running into anyone I knew. Plus, the drive is kind of therapeutic in itself. I can use the time there to think about what's bugging me that day, and on the way home I can think about any revelations that were made that day. I'm still a pretty big mess, especially at this particular moment in time, but I do think I'm getting better. I have a lot of things to work through, and I want to get through them so I can get a real, adult grip on life."

She let out a relieved breath as she finished her explanation and looked at him carefully, trying to gauge his reaction.

He reached out to squeeze her hand. "That's really brave of you, Lorelai," he said. "I'm proud of you."

His words brought a real smile to her face, albeit a small one. "Yeah?" she asked.

Luke nodded. "It must have been pretty difficult," he said.

"It was so hard," Lorelai nodded. "As someone who joked for years about needing therapy, it took a lot of courage for me to suck it up and actually do it. But it's been eye opening. It's the first thing I've done with my own well being in mind, to really make myself a better person."

"I'm really glad you're doing this, Lorelai," he said. "It seems like it's really helping you."

"It has been." She was quiet for a moment before she said, "I wanted to tell you because the past couple sessions have been focused on you and our relationship and my thoughts about it."

Luke tensed slightly, and she reached out to rest a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like people knowing your business, but I need to work through it. I'm not asking you to come with me or anything, I just…"

"I'd do it."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"If you wanted me to, if you thought it would help you become you again, I'd go with you," Luke said, and the expression on his face told her that he was completely serious.

"You really would?" Lorelai asked.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I don't know, I just thought there would be some sort of Luke rant about Freud and medical professionals and leather couches."

Luke inhaled sharply. "I'm not exactly thrilled with the thought," he admitted. "But I…it seems like it's really helping you."

"It is," Lorelai admitted.

"So maybe, I don't know…" He ran a hand over his neck. "I know we've been over this, but I messed up big time. And maybe it would help both of us to know why."

"Okay," Lorelai said, looking at him carefully. "But I don't want you to do it if you're not comfortable."

"Give me some time to think about the idea?" he asked softly.

"Sure," she said with a nod. "I didn't think you'd ever even consider it."

"People have got to stop assuming they know what I'm going to do or say," Luke muttered.

Lorelai reeled back slightly at his words as the realization slammed into her like a ton of bricks. She'd done the same thing Anna had. In a lesser capacity, certainly, but she'd simply assumed he wouldn't want to go to counseling with her and didn't even bother to ask. Anna had done the same thing with April, resulting in him missing the first twelve precious years of his daughter's life.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"No, I shouldn't have said that," Luke replied. "Here you are trying to be honest and communicate, and I respond with an underhanded comment."

"See this is exactly what I want to work on," Lorelai said. "You should know that I want this, Luke, I really do. You and me, the life we were planning, I want that back. But we can't just jump back in and pretend that you didn't shut me out or I didn't run away. We have to work through these issues so we don't implode again. I don't think I could survive that."

"You're right," he said. "We'll work on it. I'll work on it."

"And um…I think we should wait a bit before we jump back into being us," Lorelai said. "We should be talking and spending time together, I want that. But I think the dates and sleepovers and stuff should wait. At least a little bit."

"Again, you're right," he nodded. He sighed and turned to look at her. "One condition?"

She cocked her head and waited for him to continue.

"While we're taking time and working through things," he said. "No one else?"

"Oh, Luke," she whispered, leaning forward. "There is no one else. I promise."

He nodded as he squeezed her hand. "Come on, let me walk you home," he said. "I'm sure that crazy dog of yours needs a walk."

Lorelai smiled at the mention of Paul Anka. "He missed you, you know," she said.

"He's a dog, dogs can't miss people."

"Not true," Lorelai shook her head. She remembered how Paul Anka would abruptly leave the room whenever Christopher entered it, and had turned his back to her whenever she even mentioned Christopher's name in his presence. She had, however, found a pair of Luke's socks tucked into the corner of Paul Anka's bed and hadn't had the heart to take them from her dog, who had stashed them during her Luke purge. She still had her own one tiny reminder of the man she should have married tucked behind her make up and face wash in the bathroom drawer, one that hadn't quite made it into the boxes she'd thrown away.

"What are you thinking about?" Luke asked as they approached her house.

"Whether I can reunite the Bangles and join the band," Lorelai said without a beat.

"Good luck with that."

"Thank you," Lorelai said, smiling as she unlocked the front door. "Mommy's home, Paul Anka!"

The dog lifted his head lazily off the couch and then put it back down, clearly not impressed. "Nice to see you too," Lorelai frowned and then turned to Luke. "Do you want to stick around for a bit?"

"Oh I…" he looked around uncomfortably. He hadn't been inside since it had nearly been his house, and he could still see touches of his time away. He wondered how many of them were Christopher's influence. "I don't know if I…"

At the moment Paul Anka heard Luke's familiar voice, he jumped off the couch and charged towards Luke, barking excitedly. Luke tried to suppress the smile that came across his face, but he reached down to rub his head affectionately. "Nice to see you too, mutt," he murmured.

Lorelai smiled. "I told you. He missed you," she said. "And you missed him too."

Luke offered her a smile from where he'd bent down to rub Paul Anka's back. "Yeah, I did," he admitted. He gave the dog one last scratch on his back, then stood. "I guess I could stay for a little bit if you want."

"I want," Lorelai confirmed.

"Okay," Luke said.

"Want some tea?" Lorelai asked, pointing towards the kitchen.

"Sure," he said. "I can get it."

"Okay," Lorelai said, knowing he liked having something to occupy himself. They walked into the kitchen and she made the coffee while he boiled the water for tea. She marveled at the normalcy of the situation, something they'd done a thousand times before. Their routine was exactly as it always had been; she poured the water into the coffee maker while he filled the kettle. She scooped the coffee as he pulled two mugs out of the cabinet. And then, as they waited for their respective beverages to brew, he unconsciously reached out to kiss her forehead as he passed her to sit at the table.

"I'm sorry," he said, freezing as he realized what he had done. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," she shook her head with a smile.

"We wanted to take things slow and I…"

"Kissed my forehead," Lorelai said with an amused smile. "I think even the Amish would say that was okay."

He nodded but looked at her carefully, trying to determine if she was telling the truth.

"I may have even liked it," she baited him. "That morning routine we perfected is still there. It's nice."

"Yeah, it is," he said with a nod.

"So I guess everything's not lost," Lorelai added.

He smiled meaningfully at her. "I guess not," he said.

Lorelai smiled back at him, but her gaze quickly drifted into Rory's room. She sighed as she moved to close the door, not wanting to be reminded of the goodbye she'd said that morning. As she leaned in to close the door, she saw a key sitting on Rory's dresser, a bright pink post it sitting next to it, labeled with an address. A notecard sat beside it and Lorelai picked it up.

 _Mom,_

 _I don't know what's going on with you and Luke, but someday I think the two of you might be ready for this._

 _Love,_

 _Rory_

"Hey, do you know why Rory would have left a key with some unknown address and said that I should go there when you and I are ready?" she asked, walking back to the kitchen where Luke was pouring her coffee.

"What?" he asked.

Lorelai held the note and the key out to him and he shook his head. "No idea," he said.

Lorelai nodded as she looked down at the items in her hand. "Does that address mean anything to you?" she asked.

"No," he said. "Want to check it out?"

Lorelai considered her options carefully. "What does she mean?" she asked.

"We can go find out if you want," Luke said.

Lorelai tapped her fingers against the counter for a moment, then nodded. "Let's go."

XXXXX

Half an hour later, Luke pulled into the parking lot of a storage facility and frowned. "Are you sure this is the right address?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "Why does she need a storage unit? She has all her stuff stored in the garage."

"Maybe she needed more storage for her books," Luke suggested.

"You don't think it's going to be anything creepy, do you?" Lorelai made a face.

"What's the unit number?" he asked, not even justifying her question with an answer.

"23."

He pulled up outside it and turned to her, shutting off the truck. "Do you want me to wait here?" he asked.

"No, she put your name on the note," Lorelai said. "Obviously she wanted you to see this stuff just as much as she wanted me to."

"Okay," he nodded, and they both climbed out of the truck. Lorelai unlocked the padlock and Luke raised the bright red door, frowning at the sight of several large boxes piled in the center of the cement storage area. "What is this stuff?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged and stepped forward, ripping the tape off of one of the boxes and peering inside. "Oh no," she shook her head, clasping her hand over her mouth. "Oh, Rory…"

"What is it?" he asked, appearing beside her and looking at the box of clothes in front of her. "She got a storage unit for old clothes?"

"No," Lorelai shook her head. "These are my Luke boxes."

He raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Your _Luke_ boxes?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. Realizing that she owed him an explanation, she collected herself and said, "After you left my house that morning, I wanted to live in complete denial of what could have been, so I took everything that reminded me of you out of the house and put them in these boxes. I left them for the trash, but Rory must have swiped them. That girl…"

Luke nodded slowly. "So all this stuff…"

"Reminded me of you."

"Uh huh," Luke said.

"It didn't work," she said. "You're written into that house, Luke, your touches are all over it. I didn't forget anything."

He nodded slowly and peered into the box again. "This was the dress you wore when we got engaged," he said, holding it up.

"You remember," she said, her smile so bright that he felt a surge of pride on his face that _he_ had put it there.

"I remember everything," Luke promised.

"Oh, this will be fun," Lorelai said. "We can take the boxes back and I can quiz you on what each item is. You know, like a time capsule of our relationship." She paused and then took a step back. "I mean, if you want."

"I want to," he promised. "But I would like an explanation as to why there's a tube of lipstick in here."

"Blush rose," she said without hesitation. "It was your favorite."

Suddenly realizing the extent to which Lorelai had purged her belongings, he nodded and said, "Let's get these in the truck."

"Go ahead, Butch, I'll supervise." He shot her a look and she smiled. "I just want to leave a message for Rory."

He nodded and bumped her shoulder with his fist before he hoisted two boxes into his arms and headed towards the truck.

Lorelai watched him appreciatively as she waited for Rory's voicemail, knowing that Rory was still in the air and inaccessible by phone. "Hey, beautiful girl, it's me," she said. "I just wanted to say thank you. I found your lair. You're a special kid, Rory Gilmore." She looked up when Luke stopped in front of her and pointed to himself. "Luke says thanks too. Call me when you land. I miss you."

She hung up and turned back to the truck where Luke was leaning over to shove some boxes into the back. His jeans were stretched across his backside, and she couldn't help the smile that came across her face as she admired her view. A lot had changed, but Luke was still as attractive as ever.

"Are you planning on helping at all?" he scowled as he walked past her.

"Yeah, sure," Lorelai said. "Truck's that way."

He sighed as he picked up another box. "I wonder how much of my stuff is actually in here," he said.

"Not much," Lorelai muttered.

"What?" he asked.

"You weren't exactly a regular around the house when this happened," Lorelai said, a bit more harshly than she'd intended. She crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, "Sorry."

"It's okay," he said. "You're right."

"But we're not talking about it today," Lorelai said. "God, I can't seem to do anything right."

"It's a process," Luke said. "We'll get there, Lorelai."

She looked up at him for a moment, and in his eyes she could see that he truly believed that. "Let's go open some boxes."

XXXXX

Paul Anka was perched on the stair landing, watching as Luke and Lorelai spread out on the floor, going through the second box together.

"My spatula!" Luke exclaimed, holding it up triumphantly.

"Sure, that you're excited about," Lorelai said. "Your snowman boxers must be so sad right now."

Luke leaned in and pulled out a couple more items-some framed pictures, a bar of soap, some CDs-before a sly smile appeared on his face.

"What?" Lorelai looked up from folding her rediscovered clothing when she saw his expression.

Wordlessly, Luke reached into the box and held up a bright red lace bra, then reached his other hand into the box for its matching pair of panties.

"Oh my god," Lorelai said, her face suddenly turning bright red. "Give me that."

"It's not like I haven't seen them before," Luke said with a smirk. "Although I do prefer them how they were originally presented to me."

She tried to snatch the items out of his hand but he quickly stood, holding them out to her reach. "Remember that night?" he asked, the teasing gone from his voice.

She smiled softly. "Of course I remember," she said. "For someone who hates birthdays, you sure liked your present that year."

"Well, with wrapping like this," he dangled the underwear in front of him. "How could a man refuse?"

"That night," Lorelai shook her head. "We were still so new, only a couple months in, and my mother hadn't stuck her nose in yet. Things were so easy back then. So fun and sexy, and all I had to do was throw on some hot underwear to have you wanting me."

"Hey," he dropped the garments onto the coffee table and sat down on the floor in front of her. "I never stopped wanting you."

Lorelai shook her head. "Don't lie, Luke, it's not going to get us anywhere," she said.

"I'm not lying," he insisted.

"Well, by the end it seemed like a chore," Lorelai said with a scoff. "For god's sake, Luke, I got in bed naked one night and you didn't even turn to look at me."

"I noticed," he said. "Trust me, it was a very uncomfortable night."

"Then why didn't you do something?" Lorelai cried. She knew it was ridiculous, they had much more important things to discuss, but apparently their sex life couldn't wait. "I was right there, Luke. Do you know how humiliating that was? Crawling in bed completely naked to seduce my fiancé and getting no reaction? It's the very definition of pathetic!"

Hearing her side of the story now, over a year later, made Luke want to time travel and beat himself up. How had he let things get so messed up? There had been a time when he'd have given anything to have Lorelai Gilmore crawl into bed with him without a hint of clothing on. And when the day had finally come, he'd ignored her, trying to fight his desire for her as he'd listened to her sniffle herself to sleep less than a foot away from him.

"I'm sorry," he sighed.

"I don't want an apology, I want an explanation!" she demanded.

"I guess…I felt like I didn't deserve it," he said. "Deep down, I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I didn't deserve to have you like that, as much as I wanted it."

"That's stupid," Lorelai said frankly, but she dropped her anger. "And so is this fight. We have way more important things to talk about."

"Well, it's probably a major factor in everything," Luke said. "Me making you feel unwanted…I can't believe I messed that up."

She sighed as she looked at him carefully. "I missed the closeness," she admitted. "With you, it was…well, we were pretty good at it, weren't we?"

"Yeah, we were," Luke admitted.

Lorelai reached out to pick up the underwear that had started the conversation, fingering the lace as she folded it neatly. "You should know," she said. "That it's never been like that with anyone else. You're…well, no one could measure up."

Luke raised his eyebrows at her choice of words.

She gasped as she realized what she'd said and clasped her hands over her mouth. "That's not what I was...I didn't mean that you're…even if it's true, but…oh my god, this could not be more awkward."

He shoved his discomfort aside to laugh at her fluster. "It's okay, Lorelai, it's not like it's a competition," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

She met his gaze evenly. "Certainly not a close one."

The air in the room seemed to thicken as their gazes locked, and Lorelai quickly turned away, knowing they couldn't act on their desires at that point in time. They had too much to talk about before they made that step. She cleared her throat and turned to a new box. "Hey, what's in there?" she asked, pulling it towards her.

Luke cut it open and she smiled as she pulled out the dried wreath crown she'd worn to Liz's wedding. "What a night," she murmured.

He trailed his fingers over the pink ribbon, remember how badly he'd wanted to do it that night, as they'd mixed with her curly dark hair. "Good memories," he murmured.

"Would you do it all over again?" she asked. "Knowing how things happened, would you go back in time to Past Luke and say, 'hey, don't talk to the crazy woman in the zucchini patch, she's just going to break your heart?'"

"No, I'd tell him to go for it," Luke nodded. "If there was one thing I'd tell him, it would've been not to hide April. I should have told you right away." He reached into the box and smiled as he saw the soft brown sweater she'd worn to the test run of the Dragonfly, when he'd first kissed her. "What about you, would you change any of it?"

Lorelai sighed. "Yeah," she said. "A lot of things. But if there was one thing...Can I be completely honest right now?"

"Sure," he said, looking at her carefully.

"That night, I went to Christopher, it was wrong," she said. "It was really horrible of me, and I'm never going to forgive myself. It's a huge regret I'll have forever, but it's not my biggest regret."

Luke crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I never should have married him," Lorelai said, tears filling her eyes. "We could have…in hindsight, I really, truly believe that you and I could have fought through that huge, colossal, horrible thing I did. But instead, because I hadn't proved myself to be a big enough idiot already, I just screwed up even more."

Luke wasn't sure he was ready to hear this. "Lorelai…"

"It's true," she said, tears now spilling down her cheeks. She moved to the couch and pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tightly to protect herself. "And at that point it wasn't just you I hurt. Rory was furious, my parents thought I was insane, and god, when they didn't approve I should have known something was wrong. But there I was, selfish Lorelai, just trying to convince myself that I was okay because I had finally gotten a husband, which had been the end game all along."

Unsure how much more of this he could hear, Luke put his hands on top of his head and let out a frustrated sigh.

"The problem was," Lorelai continued. "It wasn't the right husband. It wasn't the husband I should have had. It should have been you, Luke."

"Yeah, well, I did a pretty good job of refusing that offer," Luke muttered with self deprecation.

Lorelai sighed and reached for a tissue. "So much for not talking about the big issues today," she said.

Luke didn't respond, but looked down at her with his hands on his hips. "Lorelai, I think we need to do this in a more controlled setting," he said.

She looked at him curiously. "Do you mean you'll come with me?" she whispered.

"I think I have to," he said. "Doing this now, here, in the house you shared with him is too hard. I can't bounce from topic to topic with no resolution on any of it. If we want to get to the other side of this, we need to have some guidance."

Lorelai nodded and hugged her knees tighter. "Thank you," she said. "I know this is going to be difficult for you, Luke, but I really want to work through this. I think we can be great together."

"I _know_ we can be great together," he said. "That's why I'm willing to do this."

"I'll call tomorrow and tell them you'll join on Thursday," she said. "I, uh, have a standing appointment, Thursdays at 2. Does that work for you?"

"Yeah, I can make it work," Luke nodded. "But Lorelai…"

She made a zipping motion with her mouth. "Our secret, for life or longer," she said. "I promise, Luke."

"Thank you," he said.

She pointed to the boxes. "Do you think we can get through these without more shouting or tears?" she asked.

"Hopefully," he said. "There are some pretty good memories in here."

"Yeah, there are," she said. "Oh!"

Luke watched as she pulled out a wooden jewelry box and opened it to reveal the earrings and necklace he'd gotten her from Liz. "I always loved those on you," he murmured.

"I think they're my favorite," Lorelai said. "I love this necklace, and the others you've given me, but these remind me of everything starting and being fresh."

Luke laughed as he reached into the box and pulled out a box of cigarettes. "You kept these?" he asked.

"Yes!" she said with a gasp. "Rory has cornstarch, I have cigarettes. It's a girl thing," she added at the quizzical look he gave her.

After ten more minutes, they had uncovered some other small items-the blue and white flannel she'd always looked good in, a town meeting brochure, and a t-shirt Luke had left in her dresser-he reached into the box for the final item, his breath catching slightly. "Lorelai…"

She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't."

"You looked so beautiful," he murmured.

"Luke, don't."

"I wish I could have seen it on you for the real deal."

"Please," she begged. "I don't want to see that dress."

He obeyed and left the wedding dress in the box, but eyed her closely. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I wanted to wear it so badly," she said. "You have no idea, Luke. Even after you cancelled the wedding, I would still put it on and stare at myself in the mirror, but all I was seeing was the expression on your face, and hearing you tell me it was perfect. I should have known. I _did_ know. It was too perfect, it couldn't have worked."

Luke looked at her for a moment, hating the broken expression on her face. He knew there was nothing he could do to make it go away at that point in time. Knowing that they were both emotionally spent, he silently packaged the box with the wedding dress still inside back up and pushed it to the side. Lorelai watched him with stubborn determination not to cry again, and he gestured to the belongings that littered the living room.

"What do you want to do with this stuff?" he asked.

She dropped her arms and sighed. "You take what you want home," she said. She smirked as she held up his spatula. "I don't know how you've survived without this for the past year."

He frowned as he reached for it. "Give that to me!" he demanded.

"Hmm, maybe I'll go cook some pancakes," she said.

"Lorelai," he laughed.

"Or scramble some eggs," Lorelai pondered. "I may have to keep this in case I need to bribe you someday."

Luke narrowed his eyes, glad to see her playful side emerging. "All right, you want to play dirty," he said. He glanced around the room for a moment before he snatched a pair of purple heels off the floor. Their rediscovery had had Lorelai making noises dangerously close to the ones she made in the bedroom, so Luke knew they were a safe bet to barter with. "Your heels for my spatula."

Lorelai gasped. "As much as I would pay every damn cent I have to see you in those, you'd totally stretch out the leather," she said. "Give them back!"

"Eye for an eye," Luke challenged.

"You're playing dirty," she stated.

"You have no idea."

Their banter was again bordering on foreplay and she shook her head slightly. "Fine," she said. "But I'm also keeping the flannel."

"Like I could ever wear that shirt again," Luke replied with a small smile.

She handed her spatula over, then pushed an empty box his way with her foot. "On a serious note, take whatever you want," she said. "These are our memories, not just mine."

"Thanks," he said, tossing the spatula in the box and beginning to sort through some of the other items. Lorelai retreated to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, and when she returned a few minutes later Luke was taping the box closed.

"Got your loot?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said with a nod, standing upright. "Are you hungry?"

Lorelai smiled and shook her head. "I know what you're trying to do Luke, and I appreciate it," she said. "But I'm okay. Really."

"Just keeping you fed," Luke said. "I've been doing it forever."

"No, you're trying to distract me from missing Rory," she said. "And, for the most part doing an exceptional job."

Luke shrugged as he looked around the house. "I just know it's going to be hard for you to be here without her," he said. "I figured I'd stay awhile, if you're okay with that."

"I'd love that," Lorelai said. "But I have to face it eventually. I think we've had a day for the emotional record books though, don't you?"

"Yeah, it's been a long one," he said. "You sure you'll be okay?"

She nodded. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed," she said. "I didn't sleep much last night."

"Okay," he said. He bent to reach for his box, but stopped when he felt Lorelai's hand on his arm.

"Luke, I need to know now," she said. "Because once you walk out the door, I'm not going to be able to go back. Are we doing this? Really doing this? Because it's not going to be easy."

"I know," he said. "But I want to do it, Lorelai, I do."

"And the therapy thing?" she asked. "It's hard, Luke, it's really hard. And emotional. And you can't hold anything back. It's going to get emotional and messy, and you have to be okay with that."

Luke nodded, reaching forward to take her hand. "I know I said it before and I didn't follow through," he said. "But we've both grown a lot since then. I'm in this, and this time I'm willing to _work_ for this. It's too important to not try."

"Okay," Lorelai said. "So we're here, together, taking the steps to being us again."

"We're on the same page with that," he said. "Can I kiss you now?"

She smiled as she wrapped her arm around his neck. "So entirely predictable…"

XXXXX

"And how's the hotel?" Lorelai asked as she settled into bed later that night.

"Very sparse," Rory said, rubbing a towel through her wet hair.

"Well, I suppose Iowa isn't known for its charming countryside inns," Lorelai commented.

"I suppose not," Rory said. She flopped onto the mattress and asked, "So how's Luke?"

"He's…Luke," Lorelai said. "We went through some stuff when we were going through the boxes."

"So things are good?" Rory asked.

"No," Lorelai said honestly. "We have a lot to work through, Rory, it's not all going to be fixed in a conversation or two."

"I know," Rory said. "But he's Luke. As much as I hate what he did to you, he's Luke again. Our Luke."

"I know he is," Lorelai said. "He's trying. We're both trying. And it was nice at times, going through some of the good memories this afternoon. Even though it got ugly at times, it was cleansing, I guess, to go through them together."

"Ugly?" Rory asked.

"I kind of freaked out a couple times," Lorelai said. "Especially over the wedding dress."

"Oh, Mom," Rory sighed. "I'm sorry, I should have organized them better or labeled them or…"

"Rory, it has nothing to do with you," Lorelai said. "I'm so grateful you had the foresight to keep that stuff."

"Just returning the favor," Rory said. "You made a Dean box for me, I kept your Luke boxes."

"And for that, you will forever be my favorite girl in the world," Lorelai confirmed.

"So what happened with the wedding dress?" Rory asked.

"I told him how I kept trying it on even after he canceled the wedding," Lorelai said. "And how it was the one thing I couldn't bear to see because it represented how perfect everything was until it wasn't."

"That's understandable," Rory related.

"Rory, the expression on his face was horrible," Lorelai said. "He looked so hurt, so full of regret."

"Good," Rory said, her protective streak for her mother emerging. "He should have regrets."

Lorelai smiled sadly. "Rory, I love that you're protective and I completely understand it, believe me, but let me and Luke work this out, okay? He's sorry."

Rory sighed. "I know he is," she relented.

"I know you're trying to help and I know you're invested in this because you have your own relationship with Luke, but I can do this. I'm a big girl."

"I just don't want either one of you to get hurt again," Rory murmured.

"Honey, you're an adult now," Lorelai said. "You know that sometimes we have to hurt a little before we can get what we want."

"I guess," Rory said. "Being an adult sucks."

"You're telling me," Lorelai said.

"Remember when we would sit outside the Independence Inn and watch the weddings?" Rory asked.

"Making up stories about the bride and groom," Lorelai added.

"You always said you knew that they loved each other," Rory said.

Lorelai smiled at the memory. "I was really young, Rory," she said. "When you went through that phase at Yale, when you were so confused, do you remember how overwhelmed you were?"

"Yeah, it was horrible," Rory said.

"Well, when I went through that phrase, I had a four year old, a job that I constantly had to prove myself for, and no money," Lorelai said. "I wouldn't change any of it, you know that, but those weddings were kind of my escape. You ran to the pool house, for God knows what reason, and I ran into a fantasy world where it was simple enough that two people could just meet and fall in love and get married."

"I could see how that would be comforting," Rory acknowledged.

"But I grew up," Lorelai said. "I know I'm your mom and it's hard for you to understand, but I really was still a kid. I met my responsibilities and provided for you, but emotionally, I think I got a little stunted."

"You're kidding," Rory said sarcastically. "I thought all grown ups wore Hello Kitty pajamas to bed."

"Not like that," Lorelai laughed.

"Or is it the practical jokes?" Rory asked. "Because personally, I know several people well into their thirties who spread ketchup on the ground and convince poor, innocent individuals that they are the key witness in a murder."

Lorelai giggled. "That was one of my finer moments," she said. "And it did get Kirk out of the diner for a week, so Luke was in a particularly good mood."

"I did receive extra curly fries multiple times that week," Rory recalled.

"You always got more curly fries," Lorelai stated. "Luke totally likes you better."

"That's because _I've_ never thrown away his entire supply of decaf coffee," Rory replied.

"I was only trying to keep hypocrites out of the diner," Lorelai said. "Decaf coffee is like sugarless chocolate."

"Graphic novels," Rory offered.

"Virgin margaritas."

"Meaningful modern art."

Lorelai laughed as she looked at the clock. "Alright, writer girl, I'll let you get some sleep before your big day tomorrow," she said.

"Okay," Rory sighed. She was quiet and then she said, "I really miss you, Mom."

"I miss you too, Rory," she said. "You have no idea."

"I'll call you in the morning," Rory offered. "Love you."

"Love you too."

Lorelai hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed, the events of the past two days flooding over her. It was hard to believe that in the past twenty four hours she had said goodbye to Rory, gotten on the same page with Luke about the direction of their relationship, and hashed through boxes of memories, pleasant as well as painful. She should be tired, but she was strangely exhilarated.

Talking to Rory on the phone, late at night and snuggled in bed had brought her back to that summer years ago when she'd spent hours talking to Luke. She'd been completely alone that summer, with Rory angry at her and Luke in Maine, but their late night chats had been where their relationship had begun to evolve from friendship to romance. She'd gotten to know things about him in a new way, from a new perspective, and she could remember loving the low, husky voice he'd used over the phone.

With a glance at the clock, she decided to take a gamble that he'd still be awake and dialed the apartment. She sighed when she got the machine, but decided to leave a message anyway.

"Hey, Luke, it's me…Lorelai. I just wanted to…I was thinking about you and figured I'd just say goodnight. I know you're probably asleep, but…"

"Lorelai?" his hurried breath came to the phone.

"Oh, hey," she said, her mood lifting a bit. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, just getting out of the shower," he replied.

Lorelai bit her lip as she fought off the image of Luke, wrapped in a towel with water dripping down his chest. "Uh, you shower at night now?" she asked. It was sometimes hard to believe it had been a year, that his routines could have changed that much and she'd have no idea.

"Sometimes," he said. "Especially when Taylor comes into my diner and a plate of chili fries accidentally slips out of my hand."

"Oh my god, you threw chili fries at Taylor?" Lorelai exclaimed. "Please tell me there is video of this."

"He wants me to do a flag day special," Luke said. "Something about toothpicks with flags of the food of origin and I just wasn't in the mood."

"Aww, and you got some of the rebound?" Lorelai asked.

"So are you okay?" Luke asked, changing the subject. She could hear rustling on the other end of the line and assumed he was putting his pajamas on. The image of freshly showered, wet, naked Luke was enough to take her breath away for a moment.

"Uh, yeah," she said, shaking her head. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for bed," Luke replied. "You?"

"Already in bed," Lorelai replied. "I was just thinking about that summer when you were in Maine with Liz and TJ."

"Don't remind me," he rolled his eyes.

"I liked our phone calls," Lorelai said. "I just figured we could kind of revisit that feeling even though you're only a mile away."

Luke smiled as he sat down on his bed. "That sounds nice," he said.

"Good," Lorelai said, snuggling further into the pillows. "So are you moving the pewter?"

"Lorelai," he groaned.

"Did Annie from the grog booth hit on you again?"

"I can hang up."

"No, don't!" she cried. "I'm sorry.

"That summer was torture," he informed her.

"It was hard."

"You're telling me," he grumbled.

"Lucas!" she cried, but her lips were smiling.

"I'd just kissed you and had everything I'd ever wanted, and had to spend the entire damn summer listening to TJ whine," Luke reminded her. "Torture."

"Well, I can think of one weekend you thoroughly enjoyed," Lorelai said.

"Hmm," Luke said. "Gotta love Lake Winnepesake."

"Not like we saw any of it," Lorelai said, remembering their weekend spent halfway between their summer residences. Although he'd insisted on not taking her on a date until he got home, they'd had no problems consummating their relationship in a small inn that overlooked the New Hampshire lake.

"There were more important things to explore," Luke replied.

"That was a really great weekend," she reminisced.

"We should think about doing it again sometime," Luke suggested shyly.

Lorelai sighed noncommittally. "Maybe," she said. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being here today."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," he replied.

Lorelai smiled as she reached over to turn out the light and fluffed her pillows. "I know," she said, truly believing it. "Tell me a story."

"What?" he asked, bewilderment and amusement laced in his voice.

"A story," Lorelai repeated. "I like your phone voice."

"Hmm," Luke thought for a moment. "How about the tale of the innkeeper and the tavern owner?"

"I don't know," Lorelai murmured. "Does it have a happy ending?"

"This version does."

"Good," Lorelai said. "Proceed."

Luke's low voice began to speak and she took comfort in the sound. In that moment, safe in her bed and listening to Luke, she could truly believe that their ending would be a happy one.

 **Well, there you go! They've talked, decided to fight, and are determined to get things right.**

 **I know Luke may have seemed to be a little out of character in this story, and the therapy thing might not seem like something Lorelai would do. But after watching Driving Miss Gilmore again I realized that it might be something that she would have considered. I also think that Luke did grow a lot in the aftermath of his breakup with Lorelai, and truly believe that after the show ended he would have at least tried to do anything to get their relationship back.**

 **Final note: The title comes from the Matchbox 20 song, their best one in my opinion. Check it out if you're not familiar with it-I think it's completely perfect for Luke and Lorelai at this point in their relationship.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, it didn't take long for me to decide to keep going with this story! I guess it's just begging to be told. Thanks to everyone who reviewed-it definitely makes it easier to keep up the writing.**

 **So this chapter is a little heavy as Luke and Lorelai begin to sort through their issues. I tried to balance it out with some lighter moments because they are also trying to become _them_ again, flirty fighting and all. Let me know what you think!**

 **Happy reading!**

"Stop looking at me."

"Sorry," Lorelai held her hands up in surrender from her spot in the passenger seat of the truck. "I just still can't believe you're willing to do this."

Luke sighed without taking his eyes off the road. "We've been over and over this, Lorelai," he said. "I _want_ to be here for you. You don't bear all the responsibility for what went wrong, and you shouldn't bear the responsibility for fixing it."

"Okay, but if you change your mind…"

"Lorelai!" he snapped, his patience finally running thin. "I'm _not_ going to change my mind. I'm nervous enough about this as it is, I don't need you reminding me about it."

She didn't respond but simply crossed her arms over her chest and stared out the window.

Realizing his comments may have seemed harsh, Luke glanced over at her and then reached to pry her hand free. "Sorry," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Turn left," she replied, but squeezed his hand in acceptance of his apology. She directed him to the parking lot and he quickly pulled into a spot before he shut off the engine. Neither of them moved, but stared at the sleek office building in front of them. Somewhere in that building, they would be hashing out some of their biggest fears and confessions, digging out raw emotions, and figuring out whether they could work as a couple.

"This is scary," he confessed.

"I know," Lorelai said. "I drove here three times before I even walked inside."

"How'd you finally go in?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head. "I'm not sure," she replied. "Maybe it was just a particularly strong day or I'd had a good night's sleep. But I just knew that I could walk in and tackle my problems."

"You're stronger than I am," he commented.

"Well, it took me two more appointments to actually say anything," Lorelai added. She was silent for a long moment, then turned to face him. "At the risk of you snapping again, I just want you to know that I'm not going to judge you, Luke. The fact that you're going to do this for me speaks volumes for what you're willing to do for us. But I want to make it an open space. We need to get it all out there. Maybe not today, but we can't hold anything back. So when you do come with me, can we agree that we'll be able to say anything with fearing what the other person thinks?"

Luke nodded slowly. "Open spaces," he nodded.

Lorelai leaned forward and squeezed his hand. "Thank you for this," she said. "If you really hate it, you don't have to come back."

He sighed nervously. "We can talk about that later," he said. "I just don't know what to expect."

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Want to find out?"

He nodded nervously. "Okay," he said.

They met in the front of the truck and walked towards the building. Lorelai was pressing the button for the elevator when she felt Luke reach for her hand, squeezing it tightly. Thinking he had something to say, she turned to him expectantly, but when he didn't say anything she realized he'd simply wanted to hold her hand. He was really nervous.

Lorelai led him off the elevator to a suite in the right corner of the hallway. She pushed the door open and Luke was relieved to see that it resembled a fairly normal doctor's office. Half of him had been expecting some sort of incense burning, hammock hanging, hippie cave that his sister would have frequented, but he could easily have been in any doctor's office.

Lorelai waited patiently as he filled out some paperwork and listened to a speech about privacy and the law, and eventually a woman with long brown hair came towards them with a wide smile. She was around their age, and dressed similarly to Lorelai, and he immediately understood why Lorelai had felt okay talking to her. As he shoved his hands in his pockets and watched the two women interact, it was like observing friends instead of a doctor and a patient.

The doctor then turned to face Luke with a friendly smile. "You must be Luke," she said, extending a hand. "I'm Abby."

Luke raised his eyebrows at the lack of formality, but shook her hand with a polite nod. "Nice to meet you," he said.

"Come on back," Abby said, leading them to an office. Lorelai had a seat on a small couch in front of a window and Abby sat down in an adjacent chair. After a moment Lorelai patted the couch beside her and offered Luke an encouraging smile.

As he sat down, he watched Abby curl her feet under her in the way he'd seen Lorelai do a thousand times. Shaking his head slightly, he even felt himself begin to relax. No wonder Lorelai was so comfortable coming here. Her mannerisms, her casual demeanor, even the way she decorated her office made it seem as if she and Lorelai were long lost sisters.

"Why don't you tell me a little about yourself," Abby said to Luke.

"Oh, well…" he said, taken off guard. "I'm sure Lorelai's told you a lot…"

"She's told me what she thinks, what she knows," Abby conceded. "But I'd like to hear what you have to say."

"Well, I run the diner in town," Luke started. "I've stayed in Stars Hollow most of my life, and I've known Lorelai for over ten years now."

"What else?" she asked. He gave her a questioning glance, and she prompted, "What do you like to do?"

"I cook a lot, experiment with different recipes," he said. "I like to camp and fish. My daughter likes to read, so I've been reading some of the books she likes so I can talk to her about them."

Lorelai tensed at the mention of April, but Abby didn't flinch. Luke wondered exactly how much she knew, but her poker face was exceptional if she knew everything.

"Okay," Abby said, effectively dropping the conversation. She turned to Lorelai and asked, "You had a pretty big week. How are you feeling?"

Lorelai sighed. "Sad," she admitted. "But I talk to Rory at least once a day, and she really likes her job. So even though I miss her, it's kind of a relief to know that she likes what she's doing. It takes away some of the worry."

"I'm sure that's a huge relief," Abby nodded. "And even just having the anticipation of her leaving must be a relief. I know you were dreading it."

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "I cried in the car for a long time after I left her, but then I went home and Luke was great that day."

"You two talked about some of your concerns?" Abby asked.

Lorelai nodded as she turned to look at Luke. "We did," she said. "I think we got some of the major topics of concern out in the open. We haven't really explored any of them, but we know what's out there. And we know where we want this to go."

"That's great," Abby said. "Communication is really important, and the fact that you guys have the same goal is huge."

"It means a lot to me that Luke is even here," Lorelai said.

"Did you tell him that?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai said, turning to Luke. "You got that, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that has been made very clear," he said.

Lorelai smiled gratefully.

"So what do we want to talk about today?" Abby asked, looking between the two of them.

Luke was taken aback. He'd expected to be asked all kinds of questions that he had no idea how to answer. Being given the choice of a topic hadn't even crossed his mind as a possibility.

Lorelai turned to look at him. "Are there any burning questions on your mind?" she asked. "Safe zone, remember?"

He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah," he said. "It's probably not our biggest issue…"

"We're not going to rank or order things," Abby assured him. "If it's on your mind, it's important enough to talk about it."

"Okay," Luke nodded, turning to Lorelai. "Well, in the diner, during Rory's party you said something about losing me as a friend. I thought we were pretty much back on track with our friendship at that point, so I guess I just wonder what you meant by that."

Lorelai nodded. "Well, I've been thinking about us a lot," she said. "And not just us post-April, but our entire relationship. And it occurred to me that somewhere, I don't exactly know where, but somewhere along the line I lost Friend Luke. Boyfriend Luke was great, and Fiancé Luke was wonderful at the beginning, but I think there were times that I missed our friendship, what we had before. I didn't realize it at the time, but hindsight I guess."

Luke thought back to the times before they'd become _them._ Many things were the same; they'd still argued over her diet and bantered over silly town meetings. Some things were better; he didn't spend many nights alone anymore, and he'd tolerated town events with more enthusiasm he'd had in the past. But as he thought about it, things had been lost as well. She'd stopped telling him about her concerns for Rory, about her hopes for her life, and even about her parents. He'd probably changed as well, but right now he could only see how _she_ had changed as their relationship had evolved.

"I guess you're right," he said. "You became more…guarded."

Lorelai blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked, and he could tell she had very different thoughts on the topic.

"Well, there was a time you came to me with your fears and concerns," Luke said. "When Rory was little you'd tell me about how you were worried about her socializing or you'd come into the diner with some rant about how nervous you were about your plans for the inn. I tried to be supportive, to tell you what you needed to hear, to make you feel better. But once we started dating, you stopped sharing those things with me."

"You didn't ask," Lorelai countered.

"I never had to before," Luke shot back. "You'd come in, even if I was in the middle of something or if the diner wasn't even _open_ and ramble about your life to me. Lorelai, I even gave you advice about your love life for god's sake!"

"I know," she said, suddenly realizing how hard it must have been for Luke to watch her flit from man to man right under his nose. "Sorry about that."

"I think maybe…" Luke sighed as he started to work things out in his head. "I had wanted you for so long, and maybe once I finally had you I was so scared that I was going to mess it up that I just kind of followed your lead."

"That's another thing, Luke," she said. "You put me up on this pedestal. I'm not trying to be arrogant or anything, but you've admitted it. You kept that horoscope and spent eight years…waiting for me. But then when we finally got together you were expecting your perfect Lorelai fantasy that you'd created in your head. But I'm far from perfect, Luke, and the second I teetered on that pedestal you completely freaked out."

He opened his mouth to deny her words, but quickly realized she had a point. "I was scared," he admitted. "I finally had everything I wanted, and I didn't want to lose you. If I made one wrong move you'd have been gone in a flash."

"You really had that little faith in me?" she asked. "Luke, I know I don't have the best track record, but you were different. I _loved_ you."

Her choice of past tense was not lost on him and he clenched his jaw shut, trying to figure out what to say in response.

"Can I interject?" Abby asked softly, and Luke turned to her, having almost forgotten her presence in the room. "It sounds like there are some common concerns here. Lorelai, you felt as though you lost your friendship with Luke when you started dating. And, Luke, you felt as though you had to walk on eggshells because you were scared of making a mistake and losing her. How do you think those things might be related?"

They were both silent for a long moment before Lorelai sighed. "I guess, maybe, I put up some walls," she said. "Dating you was different for me because you already knew me so well, and I usually put this act on with the guys I would date. I didn't consciously do it with you because you'd always accepted me for who I was. But maybe, out of habit, I just stopped talking to you like a friend because I couldn't talk to you about you."

"You could have," he murmured.

"I didn't know that," she argued.

His head was starting to hurt. "Lorelai…"

"That was my biggest fear," she said. "After Liz's wedding, when I thought you might have been interested, I wasn't sure what I wanted. Because as much as I could feel things changing between us, I didn't want to lose our friendship."

Luke had never considered that. He'd just been so happy to finally be able to kiss her, to spend time with her when she wasn't eating a meal, that he hadn't considered how it had truly changed certain elements of their relationship, not all for the better. She'd even tried to tell him, in her roundabout Lorelai way, when he'd tried to cook her breakfast at her house.

"I felt like I wasn't doing it right," he heard himself say.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"I tried to be thoughtful, I tried to do things that I thought you would want," Luke said. "I tried to cook you breakfast and you mocked me with Rory and made me pack everything and take it to the diner."

Lorelai stared at him for a moment before tears filled her eyes. "You're right," she said.

He hated that the tears were there because of him. He knew it wasn't the first time and certainly wouldn't be the last, not with everything they had to talk about. But he still didn't like it. "Don't cry," he said softly.

"No, you're right," she said. "Oh my god, Luke, I'm sorry. You were trying to be nice. And that summer when Rory was in Hartford and you offered to take me away for a weekend, I just told you I didn't have time. Or the time you rented Pretty in Pink and I called you Duckie for a week. You did all these things to be nice and I just kept teasing you about them. I was horrible."

"I didn't say that," Luke said quickly. "I just meant that at certain points in time I felt like no matter what I did, it couldn't make you happy."

She shook her head as she looked at him. "You did make me happy, Luke," she said. "Happier than I've ever been."

He sighed and looked to the ceiling for a moment. "It was kind of hard to tell," he muttered.

Lorelai nodded, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. "I should have told you," she agreed.

"And I guess I could have…told you that I felt that way," Luke said.

"I would have stopped," Lorelai said. "If you'd told me how you felt, I would have changed. Or tried to change."

"I know you would have," Luke said. "I guess it all comes back around to me being afraid of losing you. I didn't want to do anything wrong."

"And how did that turn out for you?" Lorelai snapped.

Abby scooted forward in her seat. "Lorelai, that was a little harsh," she said gently.

Lorelai looked down at her hands and picked at a fingernail. "I know," she said. "Sorry, Luke, you didn't deserve that."

"I probably did," he sighed.

"Okay," Abby said, cutting Lorelai off before she could say anything. "I have an assignment for you guys."

"Assignment?" Luke asked dubiously. Lorelai had not told him there would be homework.

"You two have a lot of built up anger and resentment that, from what I can tell, goes back several years," Abby said. "I want each of you to go home and write a list of questions for the other. No matter how sensitive, small, or relevant you think they may or may not be, I want you to make those lists. Take a couple days, ponder it, add to it, but don't take anything out. And next week, before you come, I want you to compare your questions for each other and see if there are any major topics that overlap so we can work on it next week."

Lorelai was nodding beside him. "Okay," she said. She turned to Luke. "Does that sound okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I can do that."

"Okay," Abby said. "Can I offer my thoughts?"

Lorelai nodded silently. She looked exhausted and thoughtful. Abby looked between the two of them for a moment. "It seems to me like you're both really invested in this relationship," she said. "And I think that a lot of your concerns about your relationship have some common underlying causes that were the catalyst for what went wrong. I think we discovered a really big issue in the fact that your friendship seems to have disappeared, at least when you were engaged. That's obviously been a huge concern for Lorelai, so I want you to both be conscious of that, think about it, and figure out how to fix it."

For the first time, Luke was dubious of Abby's words. "Isn't that what you're here for?" he asked.

"Luke!" Lorelai snapped. "Sorry, Abby."

"It's okay," she waved a hand. "I can't fix this, Luke. My job is to give you a safe space to communicate and make sure you have some tools at your disposal. You know what one of your problems is. For now, let's focus on getting your friendship back and then we can tackle the next problem."

"Okay," Lorelai said, then turned to glare at Luke.

"Fine," he said. "Sorry about that comment."

"It's okay," Abby assured him. "We're out of time for today, but I'll see you with Lorelai next week?"

As much as he had been doubtful of what would come of today's appointment, Luke had to admit that he'd had some insight into his relationship he wasn't sure he would have gotten otherwise. They hadn't even discussed any of their larger issues, and he knew he was going to have to really commit to this. "Yeah, I'll be here," he said.

Lorelai's face morphed into relief, and he realized that she'd been concerned he wouldn't return. He made a note to talk about it later.

"Okay, well, it was great meeting you, Luke," Abby said as she stood, both of them following suit. "I'll see you next week."

They said their goodbyes and walked out of the office. In the elevator, Luke leaned against the wall and looked at Lorelai. "You do this every week?" he asked.

She turned to look at him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Yeah."

"Is it always this exhausting?" he asked.

She let out a scoff. "That was one of the easy ones," she said.

Unable to muster a response, Luke reached out and hooked his hand under her elbow, squeezing it gently. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "A lot to think about."

He nodded. "We've got to make lists," he said as they walked to the truck.

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "She must have been talking to Rory," she muttered.

Luke noticed her sullen mood and turned to look at her before he started the truck. "Are we okay?" he asked.

"I think we're pretty broken," she said. "Isn't that why we're here."

"I mean," he said, trying to keep his patience. "Are we still, you know, going to work on this?"

Her posture relaxed and she turned to look at him. "Oh, Luke," she murmured. "Of course."

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Good," he nodded.

She offered him a small smile as he started the car. "You know what I could go for right now?" she asked.

"What?" he asked, trying to look uninterested, but he could feel the corners of his mouth betraying him to twitch up into a smile.

"Milkshakes!" Lorelai exclaimed.

Memories of their car shopping trip a month earlier came back to him and he shook his head. "No."

"Come on, Luke, that place is on the way home," Lorelai said. "They were so good!"

"We're not stopping."

"Why not?" she asked. "You took the day off."

"Not to drink milkshakes."

"It will make you feel better."

"It will make me feel sick."

"If memory serves, I was right last time," Lorelai huffed.

He shook his head as he looked at her. "The amount of work it takes to be around you…"

Lorelai smiled, but her eyes were unsure. "Is totally worth it," she said. "Right?"

He squeezed her hand. "Right."

Lorelai turned back to the road and let out a squeal of delight as he pulled the truck into the parking lot of a small ice cream stand.

XXXXX

This was harder than he would have thought.

As Luke sat at his kitchen table, pad and paper in front of him and an untouched beer cracked open in front of him, he could only come up with the obvious questions he wanted to ask Lorelai.

 _Why did she go to Christopher?_

 _Why did she_ _marry_ _Christopher?_

 _Why didn't she tell me when she felt abandoned?_

The phone rang beside him, and he picked it up quickly.

"Hey," Lorelai's voice greeted him warmly. "Ready for our night time chat?"

"Yeah," he said, picking up his paper and pen and moved towards his bed. He had already changed, and he settled under the covers. "Did you talk to Rory?"

"Yeah, she's doing really well," Lorelai said. "She's in Illinois, so there's a lot to cover since that's the Senator's home state."

"That's good," he said as he wrote.

 _Would I ever have been part of her relationship with Rory?_

"I'm glad she's having fun," Lorelai said. "I would have loved to travel around like that if she hadn't come into the picture."

"Hmm," Luke nodded.

 _Why was she considering selling the inn?_

"You okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, sorry," he said. "It was a big day."

"Sure was," Lorelai said. She was quiet for a moment before she said, "I was proud of you today."

"Really?" he asked.

"Very," Lorelai answered. "It's hard to go in there and just spill to a perfect stranger. Especially when I'm a sobbing mess beside you."

"You weren't a sobbing mess," he assured her. "I liked her. She reminded me of you."

"Uh, hopefully not too much," Lorelai tried to joke, but he could hear the nervousness in her voice.

 _Does she trust me?_

"Not like that," he said quickly. "I can just see why you felt comfortable with her. I forgot she was in the room for part of the time."

"I think we did well," Lorelai said.

"Do you think it's okay that we didn't talk about the big issues?" he asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "It took me three times to even bring April up by myself. I think we need to work up to the big things."

 _Is she still willing to help with April?_

Luke wasn't sure exactly how he felt about Lorelai talking to Abby about his daughter. The protective father in him wanted to get angry, but the rational part of him realized that she wasn't trying to be manipulative or menacing. He had no one to blame but himself for the few interactions Lorelai and April had had. What could have been a beautiful relationship had been quickly killed by his veto.

"Luke? Did you hear me?"

"No, sorry," he snapped himself back to reality. "What were you saying?"

"I asked if you talked to April today."

Her question caught him off guard. They regularly talked about Rory and what she was doing, but Lorelai hadn't asked him anything about April. Not that he could blame her.

"No, not today," he took her olive branch. "She got to her camp on Monday, so she's been pretty busy."

Lorelai was quiet, then she said, "I really am sorry she couldn't make it to the boat trip, Luke," she said sincerely. "I know how much you were looking forward to it."

"It's okay," Luke said. "She's excited, so that's what's important, right?"

"Yeah, but it's okay to be disappointed for yourself," Lorelai said gently.

"Hmm," Luke said. "You know, maybe we could take a boat trip."

"Maybe," Lorelai said, but she didn't sound interested.

He recalled her comments about making sure April had a place to shower and blow dry her hair and realized Lorelai and boats probably didn't go along very well.

 _Would she do any of the things I like to?_

"I guess it's not really your thing," he finally said.

"No, it's not that at all," Lorelai said quickly.

"Really?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly ready to cross the Atlantic," Lorelai said. "But I could do an overnight trip. When the coast is within swimming distance. When we're a little further into this and I'm sure you'd rescue me if I fell overboard."

Luke laughed, knowing she was right. "I'd save you," he promised.

"You sure about that?" Lorelai asked.

"Positive," Luke said confidently.

"Good," Lorelai said. "But seriously, Luke, when things are better and we're more…official, a day on the boat with you? Sounds perfect."

He could picture Lorelai stretched out on the deck in nothing but a bikini and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds pretty perfect," he said.

"Especially with you in the pirate hat I plan on purchasing," Lorelai continued.

"No."

"Eye patch?"

"No."

"Can I at _least_ by a stuffed parrot to sit on your shoulder?" she pleaded.

"Sure."

"Really?"

"No."

She huffed on the other end. "You're no fun," she said. They were both quiet before she asked, "Hey, does your boat have a name?"

"Not yet," he said. "I'm not really good at naming things."

"I am!" Lorelai declared.

"I'm aware," Luke said dryly.

"Yep, anything needs a name, just call me," Lorelai continued.

"And yet you named your daughter after yourself," Luke commented.

"I happen to like our name," Lorelai shrugged.

"Me too," Luke said honestly.

"I'll have to start thinking of good boat names," Lorelai continued. "Let's see, Madonna, Debbie Harry, and Bono are already taken by the stove, the fridge, and the coffee maker."

"I can't believe you named your entire kitchen," Luke muttered.

"And yours," Lorelai added. "How's Charles?"

"The fridge works fine."

"And I trust that Bert is doing well, handy as always?"

"It's fine."

Lorelai giggled, and then dropped her voice an octave. "How about my old friend King Arthur?"

"Lorelai!" he exclaimed, knowing that he should have seen that coming.

"Sorry, I guess it's still to soon to discuss him," Lorelai said, the teasing edge gone from her voice.

He wasn't sure whether to pick up the flirting again or change the topic, so he remained silent as he launched back into thought about their relationship status. He doodled on his paper for a moment before he began writing again.

 _Does she regret proposing?_

"I crossed a line, didn't I?" Lorelai asked.

He sighed and tossed his pen and paper onto the night table. "No," he said. "It's okay, I'm just thinking."

"It's strange," Lorelai confessed. "Sometimes when we're talking it's so easy to fall back into our old flirty banter. But then one of us gets uncomfortable and we fall back into that weird place between friends and…more than friends."

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry we lost our friendship."

"Me too," she said. "I don't think either of us are to blame. It's not like we did it consciously."

"I don't know how to fix it," he admitted.

Lorelai sighed. "Maybe we just make a point to…I don't know, do one friend thing a week or something," she shrugged.

"Friend thing?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, something that doesn't involve dates or relationship issues or sex, just something fun between two friends. A movie, a town meeting, whatever."

"We did those things when we were dating."

"I know," Lorelai said. "I just hate that we lost that, Luke. We finally got that back, and now I'm scared all over again."

"I wish I knew how to fix it."

"I hated it at first," Lorelai admitted.

"What?"

She was quiet and then she said, "When you came to my house after looking up that car? It was so sweet of you to do that, especially after the car shopping trip from hell. It was the first time I saw the real you again, the Luke that I'd fallen in love with. And I was standing there, listening to you rant about how ridiculous the plan was, which I still don't agree with, by the way, and I was thinking, 'he's back. My Luke is right here in front of me.' But then you told me to tell the guy that I was your _friend_ and I don't know, it stung a little."

"We are friends."

"I know," Lorelai said. "And I know I should be grateful even for that after everything. There was a point where I thought we'd never have another word to say to each other unless it was to curse each other out. But you just said it so casually, and I felt sad that I was _only_ your friend."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," she said. "But then you started ranting about my safety and bells and I saw you again. I thought maybe there was still hope."

"I wasn't sure at that point," Luke admitted, remembering the moment he'd been sure he was ready to get her back.

 _Did the song mean anything?_

"Me either," she said. "I just thought…what if?"

"I don't think we should focus on those," he said. "I have a lot of what ifs tossing around in my head as well, but it doesn't really do us any good."

"I know," Lorelai said with a sigh. "Can I just put one more out there though? You know, for the road?"

"Sure," he said.

She didn't say anything for a long moment, but then she whispered, "Next week would have been our first anniversary."

"I know."

"I would've been pregnant by now. Or at least wanted to be."

Luke squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. The thought of Lorelai carrying his kid was too painful to imagine, especially since he wasn't sure if it would ever happen now.

 _Would she still want kids?_

 _Is she still open to marriage?_

 _Where would we live?_

"I wanted that so much," he said. "In a moment of total honesty, I was always a little hurt that you planned that entire wedding with Sookie, not me. You didn't even ask me about any of it."

Lorelai was silent on the other end, and in his mind Luke saw her face crumbling as it had that afternoon in Abby's office. "Luke," she whispered in the way only she could. "I'm so sorry. I never thought…"

"I know," he said. "And I know I don't exactly scream place settings and floral arrangements, but…I don't know, I just would have liked to have some say. Or at least made to feel that way."

"You're right," she said. "I wasn't thinking. You should have said something."

"Well, Sookie made it pretty clear she was in charge."

Lorelai winced. "Yeah, she can be like that," she said. "I'll make sure she backs off this time."

Luke heard her words but took a moment to process them, and in his silence Lorelai tried to backtrack.

 _Where is her engagement ring?_

"I didn't mean to assume anything," she said quickly. "I mean, you might not even want it, and I know Anna had issues with us getting married, so…"

"It doesn't matter what she thinks," Luke said.

"It did last time."

Luke wasn't sure he had the energy to deal with this particular conversation right now. "I still want to marry you," he said.

"I want to marry you too."

"I wish it was that simple."

She was quiet for a moment. "Luke, I…I love you."

"Oh, Lorelai, I love you too."

He heard her gasp quietly, and he wished he was there to see the expression on her face. "I don't think I realized how much I needed to hear that," she said. "Thank you."

Luke buried his face in his free hand. Lorelai never should have had to thank him for telling her how he felt. He should have told her. He could practically hear his mother lecturing him and feel his dad whacking the back of his head for his stupidity.

"I should have said it more," he said.

"You let your actions speak," she tried to excuse it.

"That shouldn't have been enough," he said. "And eventually, my actions were pretty horrible."

He could hear rustling on the other end of the line. "It's late," she murmured. "We've had a long day."

"We'll talk in the morning," he promised.

"Okay," she sighed. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I know it was a lot and we're just putting everything on the table," she said softly. "But I feel really good about this."

"Me too," he said. "Goodnight, Lorelai."

"Night."

They both hung up the phone and Luke shut of his light, pushing his pillows into place. He lay down flat but found his mind racing with the revelations they'd had today. He knew there were still questions, things he had to ask Lorelai and talk to her about, but he felt like some sort of step had been made.

Suddenly realizing that he'd forgotten something, Luke reached over and picked up the phone, dialing her house from memory. When she picked up with a concerned tone, he said, "I forgot to tell you something."

"Okay," she said, her voice reflecting her confusion.

"I love you."

Lorelai giggled happily. "As much as I love hearing it, you don't have to say it every ten minutes," she said gently.

"Well, I should have said it when I hung up," Luke said. "That's what people they do when they hang up a phone, right? Tell them they love them."

"Well, unless it's a tax collector or a telemarketer or Emily Gilmore, yes, usually."

 _Will her parents ever accept me?_

"So…I'll get better about it," Luke promised.

"You're not going to hear me complain," she said. "I love you too."

"Good night."

Again, Luke hung up the phone and settled down into his bed, determined to go to sleep this time. He tossed and turned for a few minutes before he ended up on his side, staring at the empty pillows that Lorelai had slept upon for years. He'd bought this bed when they'd started dating, and it still felt too big without her in it.

He flipped on the light and reached for his list.

 _Does she still want to sleep with me?_

With the light now on he was wide awake, and he turned to look at the box that was still sitting across the room, near April's bed. He hadn't had much time to go through it, but there was one particular item he wanted displayed when Lorelai made it back up here.

He ripped the tape open and tossed aside some t-shirts and knick knacks, reaching for the item he'd been thinking of. He stared down at the picture for a moment, tracing his finger over Lorelai's laughing face, wondering if he would ever see her smile so fully again. Liz had given her a copy a candid from her wedding, of Luke and Lorelai seated at the buffet table. Lorelai had framed it and hung it on the wall of their bedroom-her bedroom-after the renovation had finished. He'd left its companion picture of their dance at Lorelai's, but he wanted to have some part of her here with him.

With a nod, he turned to place the photo beside April's school portrait on the coffee table. Hopefully Lorelai would notice when she was here again.

He scribbled one last question onto his list before he finally turned off the light for good.

 _Did she feel bad for letting him live in our house?_

XXXXX

"Hey, what's that?" Luke asked as he nodded to the notebook Lorelai was writing furiously in as she sat at the counter.

She snapped it closed, then held up the black leather notebook with a nervous smile. "My list," she said.

His eyes widened slightly. "You need a whole _book?"_ he asked.

Lorelai grinned. "Yeah," she said. "I hope you're full of answers there, Cool Hand."

"Okay, I needed less than a page," Luke said. "How could you possibly have that many questions?"

Lorelai opened to the first page and began reading. "Did Gilligan ever make it off the island? Is Tyra Banks's forehead really that big, or do they photoshop it? How does ink come out of pens? Where is Amelia Ear…hey!"

Luke grabbed the book out of her hands and frowned down at it. "Those are really the questions you wrote down," he said.

"Uh, yeah, we're being honest, remember?" Lorelai said, straining to reach him across the counter.

"Did you write any _real_ questions in here?" he asked, flipping through the pages. Over half of it was filled.

"They're all questions."

"Important ones."

"They are important!"

"Who decided to eat a coconut?" Luke asked in disbelief.

"It's a legitimate question!" Lorelai said, finally grabbing the book out of his hands. "Seriously, what person was walking along and said, 'wow, look at that giant thing in a tree. I think I'll spend two weeks cracking its rock hard exterior open on the off chance it's filled with tropical goodness?'"

"Did you write any questions about us?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Lorelai said. "Page 30."

Luke glanced at her suspiciously as she held the book out to him. "Will Luke ever wear airpants? Lorelai!"

She giggled. "You're so fun to annoy."

"Well, you must be pretty constantly entertained," he tossed the book back to her, letting it slide across the counter.

She smiled as she clutched it to her chest. "I do have serious questions, I promise," she said. "I just wanted to make it a little less intimidating."

"Good," he said, offering her a small smile.

"So…Abby said we should cross reference our questions," she reminded him.

"Yeah."

"And we have an appointment tomorrow."

"I know."

"So I was thinking you could come over tonight and we could go over them," Lorelai said, hiding slightly behind her coffee cup.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "If you want to."

"I do," he nodded. "I'll bring dinner over."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "Thanks for the coffee."

"No problem," he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek before she swung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll call you when I'm on my way."

"Just let yourself in," Lorelai said. "If you still have your key."

"I do," he confirmed.

"Good," she said. "Bye!"

XXXXX

Lorelai sat on the couch as she looked at her list of questions for Luke, which she had condensed onto a single sheet of notebook paper. She knew some of the questions were going to be painful, but she also knew that if they could get through this, it would all be worth it.

 _Why didn't he tell be about April?_

 _Why couldn't I have a relationship with April?_

 _Does he want to live with me?_

 _Does he find me attractive?_

 _Does he want more kids?_

 _Would he marry me?_

 _Will he let me have a role in April's life?_

 _Will he defend me to Anna?_

 _Does he regret saying yes?_

 _Why did he buy a house without telling me?_

 _Will he forgive me for Christopher?_

 _Does he trust me?_

 _Does he still love me?_

 _Did ever love me?_

She couldn't think of any other questions, so she set her pen down and went to the fridge, opening two beers and taking a long swing of one. She smiled when she heard Luke push the door open and call her name. "Kitchen!" she yelled.

"Hey," he said, appearing in the doorway with a bag of food in his arms. He set them down on the table and then leaned in to kiss her softly.

"Hi," she said, her eyes sparkling. "I opened a beer for you."

"And drank half of it?" he asked, eyeing the bottle in her hand.

"No," she handed him the full bottle. "So…eat and then read? Or read and then eat?"

"I had a salad earlier, so…"

"Reading it is," she said. She grabbed her paper and followed him into the living room. They sat down side by side on the couch, and she asked, "So we're just going to see what we want to talk about, right? Most of the heavy talking will be done in the carefully constructed safety zone of Abby's office?"

"Unless there's a big issue," Luke said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. She handed him her paper with a smirk. "I condensed it for you."

"How thoughtful," he said, handing her his own paper.

She glanced down at it, but then grabbed his arm. "Can we make this a safe zone too?" she asked. "No judgement?"

"No judgement," he agreed.

She swallowed hard and then looked down at his questions, not particularly surprised by anything listed there. Many of them were similar to her own. Only two were significantly unexpected, and she supposed their answers were linked somehow.

When she was done, she turned to look at Luke, expecting him to be finished as well. She was surprised to see him staring down at the list, his grip on the paper tightening as his hand formed a fist. "Luke?" she whispered. Something on her paper had really bothered him, and she couldn't imagine what it could be. "What is it?"

When he turned to look at her, she was shocked to see tears in his eyes. In all the years she'd known him, for all their highs and lows, she'd never seen him anywhere close to crying.

"You really didn't know?" he asked, his voice thick. He held up the paper in front of her. "You had to ask that?"

"Which one?" she asked.

He shook his head and let the paper fall to the floor, resting his elbows on his knees and jamming the heels of his hands into his eyes, as if trying to force the tears back in. "How could I have messed up this badly?" he asked.

She scooted closer to him and rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer any comfort she could. "Luke, I'd be happy to elaborate," she whispered. "But I'm not sure which question is giving you this reaction."

"You really didn't know," he said, turning to look at her, his eyes brimming with even more tears. "You don't know if I ever loved you? There wasn't even one moment in time where you believed it?"

"Oh," Lorelai replied. "There were times where I _thought_ I knew. But I think now, looking back on things, I'm confusing what I thought I knew with what I wanted to believe. I don't know, it's a big mess in here."

"But even before April," Luke said. "When we were engaged and renovating, you didn't know?"

Lorelai sighed as she pulled back. "Luke, that time…I want you to know that I don't regret anything that happened with you," she said. "I would propose to you again, I'd renovate the house, the stuff with you I wouldn't change for anything. But everything that was going on with Rory at that time kind of made my head a huge mess. Maybe that's part of the reason you didn't want to tell me about April, I don't know. But I just…no, I was never really sure of it." She bit her lower lip and watched, unsure of what his reaction might be.

He shocked her by shaking his head and then turning to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He buried his face in her neck and she felt the moisture from his face soaking into her shirt. She froze for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him and held him, knowing that he needed to get this out before they could have a rational conversation. She rubbed her hand over his back, trying to offer him any physical comfort that she could.

She wasn't sure how long they sat like that before Luke murmured into her neck, "I'm sorry, Lorelai, I'm so sorry."

"Hey," she said, pulling back to look at him. She'd never seen him look so vulnerable and scared, but she offered him a comforting smile to tell him she didn't think less of him. "We both screwed up here."

"But you should have known," he said desperately. "I always thought underneath everything you knew that."

"Well," she said. "I wasn't sure if the love you felt was for _me_ or Pedestal Lorelai."

"What?" he narrowed his eyes.

"I think part of me was scared that those things you did to show how you felt-you know, bringing coffee up for me, bringing me lunch at work, letting me eat pie in your bed-I guess I just felt like you did those things because of who you _wanted_ me to be, that perfect Lorelai in your head. She was the one you loved, and I was just the physical, less perfect version."

He shook his head. "That's not true at all," he said. "Lorelai, I don't…I don't think I even understood love until you."

She nodded slowly. "I think I'm starting to get that," she said.

"Please, you have to know that," he said. "I'll do anything, just to let you know how I feel about you."

"I'm starting to feel like we've been here before," she said softly. She'd made a similar speech to him outside the diner a year ago.

"God, is that damn night ever going to be behind us?" he sighed, leaning into the couch cushions and throwing his hands over his face.

"Okay," Lorelai said, pulling his arms down. "I don't know, Luke, I honestly can't say that I was ever sure of how you felt. But I can tell you I'm sure _now."_

He turned his head to look at her. "You are?" he asked.

"Completely sure," she nodded. "If you agreeing to work through this _with_ me wasn't enough of an indicator, this right here convinced me. I know how hard it is for you to share yourself with other people, and you sharing yourself with me right now, unashamed and completely exposed told me exactly how much you love me."

"I do," he insisted. "I do, Lorelai, I love you so much."

"I know," she whispered.

"I love you," he repeated as if he had to make up for all the times he hadn't said those words in the past. "I love you, Lorelai. I love you."

"I know," she repeated.

He leaned forward to kiss her then, deeply and passionately, a kiss filled with raw emotion and desperation. She couldn't remember the last time he'd kissed her like that, and at first she kissed him back eagerly. It felt good to feel wanted, to feel _loved_ and for a moment she gave into those feelings, pulling him down to her as she stretched out on the couch.

It wasn't until he was kissing his way down her neck and reaching for the button on her jeans that she felt reality calling her back. "Luke," she murmured, stiffening beneath him. "We can't…"

"We can," he murmured, his hand sliding under her shirt.

"Not now," she said.

"I have to show you," he whispered. "You have to know how much I love you."

"I do know."

"Let me show you," he murmured.

"Luke," she tried to shift out from under him, but he leaned down to kiss her again. This time she didn't return the kiss and pulled her head back. "Luke, _stop!"_

He jumped off of her immediately and she lay on the couch, looking up at him as she panted her way down from their steamy make out session.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Oh, Lorelai, I'm so sorry. I'm trying to tell you that I love you and then I jump on you without even thinking about whether you want it or not. No wonder we're so mixed up. I can't even do this right."

"Hey," she said, tugging on his hand until he was seated beside her. "Do not get upset. I liked the kiss. It was nice to be wanted. I just don't think we should be having sex right now. That adds a whole new level of complexity. It's not because I don't want you. I _do._ So badly. But this is about more than sex, and I want us to have a little more perspective before we get there."

"I know," he said, taking a deep breath. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with me."

"You're facing your fears," Lorelai said. "It's okay, Luke. Safety zone, remember?"

He sighed deeply. "I should go," he said.

"No," she said. "Stay here tonight."

Luke shook his head adamantly. "No," he said firmly.

"Why not?" Lorelai asked. "I know I just said no sex, but we can just sleep…"

"No!" he said, even more firmly. "I'm not sleeping in _that_ bed."

"What's wrong with….oh." Realization dawned on Lorelai and she shook her head. "No, Luke, I got a new bed. He's never even laid eyes on it, I promise."

"I can't do that, Lorelai," he said. "I'm trying to move past the whole thing, but I refuse to sleep in a bed you shared with him."

"I didn't," Lorelai said, moving to the desk. She picked up a piece of paper and handed it to him. "See? Delivery date was last week. Christopher was never anywhere near the same zip code as this bed."

He nodded and handed the paper back to her. "Thank you," he said.

"I thought that might eventually be a problem," she admitted. "So will you stay? I'm worried about you, Luke, I don't want you by yourself tonight."

"Are you okay with it?" he asked.

"Hi, it was my idea," Lorelai said.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if you want this mess in your bed," he murmured.

"I want _you_ in my bed," she said. "Mess or no mess, I want you to stay. Please?"

He took a deep breath, collected himself and then met her gaze. "One condition," he said.

"I'm listening."

He held his hands out to her and she took them without hesitation. "You forgive me for what happened just now," he said. "Not the…crying, but for forcing myself on you like that."

"Hey, I'm the one who kicked that kiss into high gear," Lorelai said. "I said stop and you stopped. No big deal."

"Lorelai," he said desperately, and she knew he needed to hear her say it.

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I forgive you," she said.

He squeezed her hands in gratitude. "I am sorry," he repeated.

"Okay, if you apologize for that one more time, I'm going to make you watch all of Rory's Ken Burns documentaries," Lorelai said. "And trust me, those things are boooring."

He nodded and placed a hand on her cheek. "You want me to take Paul Anka out?" he asked.

"Please," she nodded.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead before he called for Paul Anka, who came running at the sound. Lorelai smiled as she watched them, then turned towards the stairs. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then walked into the bedroom while stripping off her shirt.

"Oh, I can…" She heard Luke's voice when her head was still tangled in her shirt and she realized that he must have come upstairs while she'd been washing up. She quickly tried to pull the shirt back down and met his gaze with a blush.

"Sorry," she said. "Got used to living alone, I guess."

"I'll wait in there," Luke said, gesturing to the bathroom.

She flashed him a grateful smile and changed quickly, then reached for a t-shirt and sweatpants they'd recovered from her boxes two weeks before. She'd stashed them in case an impromptu sleepover like this popped up.

"Luke?" she tapped gently on the bathroom door and held out the clothes to him. "They're yours."

"Thanks," Luke said, offering her a smile before he took the clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to change.

Lorelai pulled back the covers and slid into bed, offering Paul Anka a smug look as he looked up at her expectantly. "Sorry, Mommy's got a better, less furry bed partner tonight," she informed him.

She was convinced that Paul Anka frowned at her before he moved towards his bed. He purposely laid down with his back to her, but she shrugged it off.

"Find a toothbrush and everything?" she asked when Luke emerged into the bedroom.

"Yeah," he said, sliding into bed beside her.

"Good," she said. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. "I love you too," he kissed her again. "So much."

She beamed, then reached to turn the light off. They both settled down into the bed, both of them flat on their backs and staring up at the ceiling. "It's weird not talking on the phone," she observed.

"I'm right here," he said.

"I know," she said. "I just…got used to the phone thing I guess."

"Tomorrow's a big day," he said.

"Yeah," she replied.

"We're going to fight again."

"Yeah."

"We'll be okay?"

"I think so."

"Good."


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here I am again! This story is apparently just begging to be told. Thanks for all the reviews, and enjoy!**

* * *

Lorelai smiled as she shut off the engine of her jeep and stepped into the driveway, taking a moment to bask in how _normal_ this seemed. Luke's truck was parked in front of hers and the lights in the house were glowing brightly. He'd promised to cook her dinner at home tonight, and she'd in turn promised to leave the inn as soon as her late afternoon meeting had ended. Luke had beat her home, but she didn't mind. It was nice to have someone to come home to.

"A girl could get used to this," she muttered as she ambled towards the porch.

"Lorelai!"

She cringed as she heard Babette's voice yell from across the yard. Plastering a smile onto her face, she turned to see Babette charging towards her. "Hi, Babette."

"I saw Luke coming in a few minutes ago," Babette reported.

"Uh, yeah, I'm getting my own personal chef tonight," Lorelai confirmed.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you, like I said to him, I'm just so thrilled he's around more," Babette continued. "It's been so nice to see you happy again. Morey! Hasn't it been nice to have Luke around again?"

Morey poked his head out the door. "Real nice," he agreed before he disappeared back into the house.

"Well, we're working on things," Lorelai said. "Is there something you wanted?"

"Aw, look at you, all anxious to get home to your man," Babette tapped Lorelai's arm. "I just wanted to let you know that we'll be out of town for the next couple days. I asked Luke if he'd mind checking on the gnomes, but I figured I'd ask you as well."

"Got it," Lorelai said, fighting the urge to laugh as she pictured the expression on Luke's face when he'd been asked to babysit garden gnomes.

"You're a peach!" Babette exclaimed. "Now, get inside and kiss that man of yours, I'm heading home. Morey! I'm heading home!"

Shaking her head, Lorelai closed the distance to her house and walked inside, inhaling the delicious aroma with a wide smile. "Honey, I'm home!" she called.

Luke poked his head around the corner. "I still hate that," he said.

"And I still have confidence that one day you will return with an angry rant about how I promised to be home hours ago and dinner is getting cold and how you feel completely under appreciated, at which point I'll kiss you and present you with a shiny new tool for Bert, and we'll eat dinner, you'll read the newspaper, I'll sew a quilt, and we'll go sleep in separate beds, each of us keeping a foot firmly planted on the floor just in case the temptation to touch each other is too much."

"That sounds miserable."

"No wonder Lucille and Desi didn't make it," Lorelai giggled, reaching for his cheeks as she pulled him in for a kiss. "Hi."

"Hi," he said, kissing her again.

"Is that your mom's lasagna I smell?" she asked.

"It is."

She smiled up at him as she watched him chop a tomato to add to the salad bowl. "That's my favorite," she said.

He leaned towards her until his face was inches from hers. "I know," he said, kissing her again.

"You're kissy tonight," she said.

He shrugged. "Just trying to be a better…whatever," he said.

"Well, I like it!" she declared, moving towards the fridge. "Hey, I heard you're on gnome duty this weekend."

"Your neighbors are insane," he informed her.

"And you do know that gnome duty requires a lot of responsibility," Lorelai said, hopping onto the counter beside him and taking a sip of beer.

"I'm not doing it."

"Well, I was _going_ to suggest that since you'd be checking in on those poor, lonely gnomes in the wee hours of the night, you might want to stay here this weekend," Lorelai said. "Out of convenience, of course."

Luke gave her a sideways smile. "Convenience, huh?" he asked.

"Yep," Lorelai confirmed. "But since you're not interested, I guess I'll have to offer my hospitality to whoever accepts the job."

"Well, in the interest of convenience, maybe I'll just stay here," he said, setting his knife down and running his hands up her thighs.

"Good," Lorelai said, placing her hands on his shoulder. "You know the porch swing is _very_ comfortable. I bet you'll get a good night's sleep out there."

He laughed and shook his head. "You're crazy," he said.

"For you, doll."

She grabbed a handful of flannel and pulled him closer, kissing him deeply. He kissed her back passionately, and one of her legs hooked around his waist to hold him in place. After several moments, Luke shortened their kisses and pulled her off the counter. "We can't," he said.

"I know," she sighed, moving around him to get some plates out of the cabinet. "Sorry."

"For what?" he asked, pulling the lasagna out of the oven and turning to look at her.

"We keep doing this awkward, teenage groping thing," Lorelai said. "I feel like I'm teasing you."

"It's not a big deal," Luke said. "We need to figure some things out before we take that step."

"Yeah," Lorelai said. She watched as he scooped some lasagna onto both of their plates. He placed a piece of garlic bread on each plate, then pointed to the salad bowl.

"At least one scoop," he ordered. "With all the vegetables."

She frowned. "Half a scoop and I pick out the carrots."

"Full scoop, you pick out the carrots, and I won't make comments when you eat whipped cream out of the can later."

"Deal." She took the plate he offered her and sat down at the table, cutting into her meal and smiling in approval. "Just as good as I remember."

"Good," he smiled at her before he turned back to his own dinner.

She watched him for a moment before she said, "So we see Abby tomorrow."

"I know."

"And, um, I was thinking that some of the things we have to talk about may not exactly be stuff we want to share in front of her."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Like what?" he asked.

Lorelai paused, then said, "Sex."

Luke choked on his food and reached for his water. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked after taking a long sip.

"I'm sorry, now is not a good time," she said. "We can talk about it later."

"Uh, well, now it's out there, so I want to know what you're thinking," Luke said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "I guess I just want to know where we stand. I think we're right to wait, but I also don't want to have to stop to talk if we decide we're ready. That's too teenagerish. Not that I stopped to talk then because, hi, you've met my daughter."

Luke sighed and dropped his silverware on his plate. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

Lorelai avoided his gaze and poked at a carrot in her salad, stabbing it with her fork repeatedly. "Well, at the risk of sounding like a complete and total hypocrite, and I know that I have no right to ask, but…was there anyone else?"

Luke rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. "There were a couple dates, with a single mom from April's swim team," he finally said.

The words stung more than Lorelai had thought they would. "Okay," she said. She remained quiet for moment before she asked, "So when you say dates, how serious are we talking? Like…what kinds of activities did you partake in? Movies? Dinner? Paintball? PTA meetings?"

"Just drinks, dinner," Luke said. "It wasn't a big deal."

"And by it you mean…it," Lorelai said. When he didn't deny anything, she swallowed hard and looked down at her lap. "Wow, okay."

"It didn't mean anything," Luke said. "She was recently divorced, and we were both just trying to move on."

Lorelai nodded, but then looked at him. "Sorry. I have no right to be jealous, I know that."

"No, you don't."

"But now it's out there and I…feel worse," she muttered.

"Why should it matter?" he asked.

"Because it puts pressure on it," Lorelai said.

"No it won't," Luke said. "I know it sounds cliché, but it honestly didn't mean anything. We were two lonely people. It was a physical thing, that's it."

"I hate someone else knowing you like that."

"Well, you're preaching to the choir there," he muttered.

Lorelai's eyes widened. "Okay, you're right," she said. "Thanks for being honest."

He nodded. "It wasn't like it was with you," he said.

"No?" Lorelai asked.

"It couldn't be," he said. "I wasn't in love with her. I barely knew her. We were both looking for a release."

Lorelai frowned. "That's so not you," she said.

"I did a lot of dumb stuff, let's chalk that up to one of them," Luke requested.

"Okay," Lorelai said quietly. She thought for a moment before she asked, "Does April know her?"

"Lorelai," Luke said, clearly frustrated.

"Sorry," she said, reaching for her water.

"April knows her, she's friends with her daughter. But she has no idea that I spent time with her," Luke offered as an explanation.

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. "Okay."

Luke watched her pick up her fork and take another bite of her dinner. She smiled slightly at him, then turned back to her salad, picking her carrots out one by one.

"Lorelai," he said, causing her to look up at him expectantly. "While we're, uh, on the topic… Are you still…are you taking…"

"I'm still on the pill," she confirmed. "We're good."

"Okay," he nodded.

"Unless you want to make a last minute down to the market to get the jumbo box of Trojans," Lorelai said, the sparkle returning to her eyes. "I know how much you loved how Taylor used the next town meeting to preach on the threats of premarital sex after your last late night run for that particular purchase."

"Yeah, well, I should've known better," he muttered.

Lorelai giggled. "I don't think you were thinking rationally at the time," she said.

"Well, when you walked into the diner wearing nothing but your coat, I wasn't exactly thinking at all."

"I know, I should have waited until my new prescription kicked in," she said. "You made that very clear. It won't happen again."

"Good."

"But don't worry, King Arthur can now safely head into battle without his shield," Lorelai said with a nod.

"Aw, geez."

XXXXX

"It sounds like you're in a pretty great spot," Abby said to Luke and Lorelai the following afternoon.

Luke nodded as he turned to look at Lorelai. "Yeah, we're doing pretty well," he agreed.

"Lorelai?" Abby prompted.

Lorelai nodded and reached to squeeze Luke's hand. "I think so too," she said. "We're comfortable and talking, about important things. And we're having fun together too."

"That's great," Abby said. "What's on your minds to talk about today?"

Lorelai turned to look at Luke with apologetic eyes and he knew what she was about to say. He tensed and pulled his hand away from hers as she whispered, "Christopher."

Abby looked between them for a moment, observing Luke as he crossed his arms across his chest and leaned away from Lorelai. Lorelai scooted into the corner of the couch and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she folded her hands and stared at the floor.

"This is one of the biggest issues in your relationship," she said gently. "I want you both to be honest and let the other speak their peace, can you do that?"

Both of them nodded minutely, neither making eye contact with Abby or each other.

"Okay," she said. "Let's get it all out on the table, and then we can piece it through. Lorelai, do you want to go first?"

Lorelai sighed and reached for a tissue from the table in front of her. Needing to keep her hands busy, she began tearing it into tiny shreds as she spoke. "I was wrong that night," she said. "I guess I'd been holding everything inside, and I felt it all bubble up. It wasn't fair of me to just throw myself at you in the street, but I had to make one last effort. In my messed up head, I thought that if I put it all out there, if I showed you my biggest insecurities you'd at least be able to tell me that you loved me, that you would set a date, something, anything, even if you didn't want to elope. But you said no and I couldn't be at home. I couldn't be surrounded by the house that we'd renovated together. So I went to Sookie's, but she wasn't home and Rory was busy with something for school. And at that point I was so desperate to talk to someone that I went to my parents' house. You know how I feel about them, and I went there before I went to him. But when they were already asleep I just sat in the driveway, like I had so many times after a fight, and suddenly I was fifteen years old again. I just wanted to see my friend. I didn't go to Christopher for anything but comfort. I told him what happened and he tried to comfort me and then he…"

"Stop!" Luke jumped to his feet, his hands resting on his baseball hat in the way they always did when he was stressed. "Stop!"

Lorelai immediately stopped talking and looked up at him expectantly. He turned to her with anger written all over his face. "You knew, Lorelai," he said accusingly. "You saw me with Nicole, you knew what she did to me! And I didn't feel for her even a fraction of what I felt for you! You were there that night, you saw her, and you told me I didn't deserve to be cheated on! And then you turned around and did the exact same thing, knowing how I felt about the guy!"

Lorelai buried her face in her hands. She'd completely forgotten about his disastrous marriage to Nicole, and she hated that she had caused him the same kind of pain. "I know, and I hate myself for that," she said.

"And did you ever think about what kind of guy would do that?" Luke continued, his voice raising. "I mean, for god's sake, you were there crying over a broken engagement and he sweeps you into bed? Who the hell does that? Not anyone with any ounce of respect for you."

"I know!" Lorelai shouted. "I know all of this, Luke, and I hate myself. I hate what I did to you, regardless of what was going on in our relationship. I hate everything about that entire stupid day!"

Luke sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He moved to sit beside her, still not looking at her. "You said a couple weeks ago that you thought we could have fought through it," he said.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "Maybe we could have. Part of me thought if you had time to forgive me we could have worked through it."

"So why did you marry him?" Luke asked. "If you wanted to give me space and time, I get that. Maybe I could have worked through it, I don't know. But space and time doesn't mean you can go get married to that same jerk who took advantage of you."

"I know," Lorelai said. She reached for another tissue to begin ripping into it. "I think I tried to convince myself that I didn't through away my relationship with you for nothing. If I could make it work with Christopher, then at least I could, I don't know, justify that night."

"That's great insight, Lorelai," Abby said gently.

Lorelai flashed a grateful smile, and then turned back to Luke. "It was his idea," she said. "I didn't want to do it, at least not without Rory, and he didn't care. Again I was fifteen, letting him talk me into something I _knew_ was stupid. And then we came home and it all went to hell."

"Wonder why," Luke muttered.

"It was because he was jealous of you," Lorelai said, and Luke's head snapped towards her. "It's true. He knew there were…feelings on my end and that I never got over you. And then he had this insane idea for us to have a baby because he saw me holding Doula, and I said no, and we fought. Then he found the letter I wrote for you and I just couldn't make it work anymore. Once again, Lorelai Gilmore spreads her poison on a relationship."

Luke's jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything. Abby watched them both closely for a moment and them prompted, "Luke, do you want to say anything about this?"

He sighed deeply. "I think it hurts the most that it was _him,"_ Luke said. "You always went to him, and we'd been through it before."

"I know," Lorelai said, tears streaming now. "I know, and I was so stupid! God, even Rory saw he would screw things up."

"What the hell does Rory have to do with this?" he snapped, ever protective.

Lorelai realized she'd never disclosed everything about her parents' wedding to him. "Well, back before my parents' wedding, when Chris was starting to show up, Rory told him to back off," Lorelai said. "She saw how happy you and I were, and she told him to stay away. She was trying to protect _you_ Luke. From her own father."

At the thought of Rory taking his side Luke seemed to relax slightly. She knew him well enough to know that he had always had a soft spot for Rory, and what he had just heard touched him.

"I want to forgive you," he finally said. "I want to be able to work past it, but I just don't know how. After everything with him, I honestly don't know how you could do that to me, especially knowing what I'd gone through in the past."

Abby leaned forward and said, "Luke, I want you think about why it is you want to be with Lorelai. Why you're here, wanting to forgive her, even if you don't know how."

Luke turned to look at Lorelai, who tried to avoid his gaze but turned to look at him eventually. Her eyes were filled with regret, red and swollen, and her face was still streaked with tears. "Because I love her," he finally said. He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear and added, "I missed her."

Fresh tears filled Lorelai's eyes and she quickly reached to wipe them away.

"And now I want you to think about what you want from your life together," Abby said. "What's the goal here? Do you just want an explanation for everything so you can remain friends?"

"No," Luke admitted. "I want to be with her. I want to share our life, I want her to know April, and I want to be with her to celebrate the milestones in Rory's life. I want to spend Christmas and birthdays with her, I want to cook her dinner and listen to her crazy movie rants. I want to wake up with her in the morning and fall asleep with her eating pie or watching TV or reading a book beside me. I want…everything."

Lorelai reached over to squeeze his hand, unable to _not_ be touching him in that moment. "I want those things too," she said. "So much."

"If you both want them," Abby said softly. "What's stopping you?"

Luke and Lorelai both looked at her blankly and she shook her head slightly. "Forgiveness doesn't mean that you're suddenly okay with each other's actions. Luke, you were incredibly hurt by Lorelai's what Lorelai did, and that's understandable. But forgiving her doesn't mean that you're happy with her choices or even the thought of it. Forgiveness means that you understand that she's sorry, you want to have a life with her, and that you can have that life without consistently drawing upon the hurt she caused you."

He nodded slowly, then turned to look at Lorelai. "I can do those things," he said.

"Luke," she whispered, unsure if he meant it.

"I can," he insisted. "I'll never like it, I'll never like _him,_ but I know you're sorry and I know you won't let it happen again."

"I won't," she interjected. "Not ever, I was so stupid."

"I know that I'll have to…acknowledge his existence," Luke said. "For Rory. But when it comes to you…"

"I don't have a relationship with him," Lorelai said quickly. "None. Not a friendly divorced couple, not co parents, nothing. We were cordial at Rory's graduation, but she's a grown up. She can have a relationship with him without involving me."

"Good," Luke said firmly.

"But I want you to be sure," Lorelai said. "Because we are going to have to see him. You two can't be tossing punches at Rory's wedding reception."

"We won't," he said. " _I_ won't." With a slight smile, he added, "That day I'll probably have to alternate my time keeping you from running background checks on the groom and making last minute changes to Rory's dress."

She smiled at his words, knowing it was his way of lightening the mood. Her eyes searched his for a long moment, and she asked, "You're sure? Because I can't have you throwing this back in my face every time we fight. If you forgive me, you forgive me, and we leave this behind us, right here, right now."

He nodded. "I forgive you," he nodded. "Consider it in the past."

She leaned up to kiss him softly, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you," she whispered. "Luke, I…thank you."

He squeezed her hand in return, and Lorelai pulled back. "Sorry," she said gently to Abby.

"It's okay," Abby said. "This was a really big breakthrough, you're allowed to stop and celebrate those."

Lorelai nodded, wondering why she still felt a sense of guilt and dread sitting in her gut.

"Now we need to focus on you forgiving yourself."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"Now that it's all out there and Luke has offered you his forgiveness, you need to do the same for yourself," Abby said.

"I can't do that," Lorelai said immediately.

"Why not?"

"Because t was too horrible," Lorelai said. "Everything Luke said was true. I knew his past, I knew how he felt about Christopher, and even as hurt as I was by our relationship, it was still the worst thing I could possibly have done. I can't forgive myself."

"Lorelai, at any point did you stop to think?" Abby asked. "Did you say to yourself, 'Luke really hurt me and I'm going to hurt him back. Let me find Christopher and sleep with him because Luke hates him and he's been cheated on before?'"

"No, of course not," Lorelai said. "It wasn't a conscious decision."

"And that unconscious decision was a poor one, but if Luke can forgive you, then you should think about forgiving yourself."

"She's right," Luke said, causing Lorelai to turn to look at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Look, it's not like I want to ever understand or think about that night," Luke said. "But if you really want to leave it here and never look back you can't keep dwelling on it either."

"We could have fought through it," she whispered.

"Maybe, maybe not," Luke said. "But you can't keep up with this self hatred. It's not healthy."

She stared at the cream colored carpeting beneath her wedge sandals, tapping her foot anxiously. "I just wish I could go back and stop it," she said. "I should have taken the night to think and gone to you calmly the next morning, like you tried to do."

"Lorelai, you've spent a lot of time talking about how this event was the major tipping point in your relationship with Luke," Abby said. "But it wasn't the only major factor. It can't all come back to this, and you have to be able to understand that if you want to move forward."

She sighed. "I guess I can leave this in the past," she said. "But, Luke, eventually he's going to come up. Not on a daily basis, but we can't go through this every time Rory mentions him or something. I can't keep hashing it out."

"It's done," he said, and Lorelai visibly relaxed.

Abby smiled as she leaned forward. "This was a huge day," she said. "Why don't you take some time this afternoon and just enjoy it together. Don't worry about any of the big issues, just work on having fun."

Lorelai turned to look at Luke and he nodded. "We can do that," he nodded.

"Good," Abby said, standing. "Until next week."

Luke and Lorelai bid her goodbye and then walked to the parking lot. "What do you want to do?" Lorelai asked as he held the truck door open to her. "It's a beautiful day."

"I have an idea," he said.

"Oh, really?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Mystic's only fifteen minutes away. Want to go walk around downtown? We can go to the Drawbridge Ice Cream Store."

Lorelai smiled as she looked at him. "That's where Rory had her fist ice cream cone," she informed him.

"I remember the story," he said.

"You're the best," she said. "Let's go!"

An hour later, Luke and Lorelai were walking hand in hand down the main street of the coastal town that reminded Lorelai of a smaller, more touristy Stars Hollow. She was finishing her ice cream cone, and he had recently polished off his own cone, which Lorelai had dared him to eat and then been shocked when he'd accepted.

"This is so nice," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It is," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I like the new us," she said. "We never did this, the hand holding or anything. It's refreshing."

"I like holding your hand," he said.

She offered him a wide smile as they approached the dock and leaned against the railing. He let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders and she snuggled closer, her head on his shoulder.

After a long moment, she sighed and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Hey, we're doing a pretty good job this time, aren't we?" she asked.

"Third time's the charm," he replied.

"I guess so." She turned her head back to the river for a long moment before she sighed and pulled away. "I feel a lot better about things."

"Good," he said, turning to look down at her. "Me too."

XXXXX

"Reese Witherspoon?" Lorelai asked him later that night.

"Nope."

Lorelai continued to think from her spot lying on the porch swing, her head resting on Luke's knee. The summer dusk had slowly given way to night, and the stars were twinkling as Luke ran his hand gently over her hair.

"Halle Berry?"

"No."

"You don't find Halle Berry attractive," Lorelai said dubiously.

"I didn't say _that,_ I said she wasn't prettier than _you,"_ Luke said. "This is a stupid game anyway. Even I'm not dumb enough to answer that question with anyone besides you."

She giggled. "Nicole Kidman?"

"No."

"Jennifer Garner."

The phone rang before he could answer. "Saved by the bell," he muttered as she reached for it, quickly settling back into position with her head on his thigh. Luke smiled as he watched her, his hand running through her hair.

"Hey, sweets, how's the road…oh, really, when?...wow, that's almost a week! You'd make the mommy very happy…we'll have to make a schedule…we'll that's not surprising…things are good…yeah, he's right here…why?...I _will_ let you talk to him, I just want to know _why…_ is it about me? Are you planning my birthday party?...I know it's almost a year away, but I just want to…"

"Hello, Rory," Luke said, grabbing the phone out of her hand, causing her to frown up at him. "You're welcome…that's good, it'll make your mom happy…yeah, I think she is….oh, really? Do they know they're talking to a Gilmore?" He laughed slightly and Lorelai looked up at him curiously, wondering what in the world Rory was telling him. "I don't know much, but I could tell you what I do know…yeah, I'll be around…okay, sounds good…bye, Rory."

"What was that all about?" Lorelai asked as he hung up the phone.

"Rory," Luke informed her. "Needs to learn to play basketball."

"Why in the world would she _ever_ need to gain such a useless skill?" Lorelai asked.

"Apparently there's some sort of tournament between members of the press corps," Luke said. "The winning team gets an exclusive with the Senator."

"Ah, they pulled out the big guns," Lorelai said. "She asked you for help?"

"Well she knew better than to ask you," Luke said pointedly.

Lorelai giggled. "I think it involves a hoop," she said. "How much do you know about basketball?"

He shrugged. "I was never on a team, but I know the basics," he said. "I'll help her when she's here this weekend."

"I can't believe she's coming home," Lorelai said happily. "Who would have thought they'd have her training people in the Bridgeport office so soon?"

"Uh, I think she's the one receiving the training," Luke said.

"Whatever," Lorelai said. "Thursday to Tuesday with my baby!"

Luke smiled down at her. "I'm glad you'll get to see her," he said.

"Hmm, me too," Lorelai said. "I can't wait to watch you teach Rory about basketball. I'm definitely going to need popcorn for that."

"You could join us," he offered.

Lorelai giggled and sat up, leaning into him. "You're cute," she informed him. "But no."

XXXXX

The following Saturday morning, Lorelai was in her element. Rory had arrived home on Thursday night, after accepting a training session in the website's Bridgeport office. She'd had training again on Friday before she'd surprised her grandparents at Friday Night Dinner, and now Lorelai was thrilled to have an entire weekend with her daughter stretched ahead of her.

"Thanks for breakfast, Luke," Rory said as she sipped at her coffee.

"Nothing I haven't done before," he shrugged, reaching for her plate.

"Yes, but being on the road has given me a finer appreciation for good food," Rory explained. "Your pancakes are infinitely superior to any others in the country."

"I've been telling you that for years," Lorelai informed him.

"Happy to hear it," Luke said. He carried the plates to the sink and then turned, eyeing both women in front of him still dressed in pajamas asked, "Either of you planning on changing out of your pajamas today?"

Lorelai pretended to contemplate. "Well, I was thinking about it, but now I think I'll have another cup of coffee before I do," she said.

"So, Luke," Rory said. "Are you still up for some one on one later?"

"Impressive sports talk," Lorelai complimented.

"I've been researching," Rory confirmed.

"Ready when you are," Luke stated.

"Just let me change," Rory requested. "I hope you're ready for a challenge."

"So where is this basketball lesson going to take place?" Lorelai asked Luke.

"I set up a court in the front yard," Luke said.

"You set up a court," Lorelai replied.

"Yeah."

"A _basketball_ court?" Lorelai asked.

"It wasn't a big deal," Luke said.

Lorelai pushed her chair back and moved to the front door, stopping short on the porch. In front of the garage was a portable basketball hoop and a platform next to it. She turned to look at Luke with amazement written across her face. "Wow, fishing pools, ice rinks, basketball courts," she said. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were making big gestures trying to get us to be more active."

"She wanted to learn, she has to have a place to learn," Luke shrugged.

"Well, it's very sweet of you," Lorelai said, leaning up to kiss him. "Thank you, Luke."

"Wow, a whole court!" Rory cried as she ran down the steps to examine the new addition to the yard. For a flash in time, she was twelve years old again and rushing outside to examine a bookshelf Luke had built for her.

"I'm going to change, don't start without me," Lorelai said.

Ten minutes later she lay in a lawn chair, dressed in shorts and a tank top with a magazine in her lap. Luke was explaining the rules of basketball to Rory, who was nodding furiously, her brow furrowed in the same way it did as she read the New York Times.

When Luke began demonstrating a free throw, Lorelai let out a wolf whistle. "Looking good, Danes!" she called, earning exasperated looks from both athletes.

"You could join us you know," Rory called.

"No way, just call me Beyonce," Lorelai replied, flipping through her magazine.

"Beyonce?" Rory repeated.

"Front row seats, not breaking a sweat, and looking flawless," Lorelai explained, gesturing to her position. "All I need is a hot man to bring me drinks and whispering in my ear. Know anyone who might be interested?"

Luke rolled his eyes as he turned to Rory. "All athletes need to know how to tune out the crowd," he informed her.

"I heard that!" Lorelai called. She couldn't help the warming of her heart as she watched Luke and Rory interact. He'd always been there for Rory no matter what, but it was still wonderful to see them together. Rory was laughing as she tried to dribble the ball and take a shot, and Luke offered a smile as he tried to give her directions on what to change. Lorelai remembered that Luke had included some concerns about his relationship with Rory on his list of fears about their own relationship, and they had yet to really discuss them. But for the moment Lorelai committed everything she could to memory, watching Luke and Rory interact with such carefree abandon.

Too soon, the moment was interrupted when a car pulled into the driveway. Curious, Lorelai craned her neck to observe the unexpected visitor, freezing when she saw Christopher climbing uncertainly out of the car. He looked past her to where Luke and Rory were continuing their lesson, not having noticed their guest. Luke pointed to the hoop and then stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest as Rory looked down at the ball and took a shot, squealing excitedly when it went through the hoop. Luke offered her a high five, but she froze as she realized what was happening on the lawn. Luke followed her gaze and tensed visibly.

"Uh, hi," Christopher said, breaking the ice. "I didn't know you'd be here, kiddo."

Rory shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "Yeah, just a weekend off," she muttered.

"Taking up a new hobby?" Christopher asked.

"Luke's teaching me," Rory shrugged, offering as little explanation as possible.

"What the hell are you doing here, Christopher?" Lorelai asked tiredly.

"Well, I'm helping my mom clean out her house, and I found some stuff Rory might want," Christopher said. "I thought I'd drive it down and leave it here for her. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her feet, and Luke turned to the garage, no one speaking in the tension of the moment.

"We're in the middle of a lesson," Rory said. "Leave the stuff for Gigi. Come on, Luke, I need to learn defense."

He looked at her closely for a moment, wondering what the best course of action was. Lorelai was standing stubbornly in the middle of the yard and Christopher was looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and something that may have been hurt, or perhaps jealousy. But Rory was standing in front of him, basketball in hand and determination in her eyes, and he nodded. "Okay," he said, reaching for the ball.

"You should have called."

Lorelai's words caused them to turn to her, and Rory deflated, obviously having hoped that her father would have taken the cue and left. Luke reached to rest a hand on her arm. "It's okay, kid, we're past it," he said.

"Obviously not," Rory muttered.

"Lor, I didn't mean to interrupt, I just thought…"

"Next time you just think, call first," Lorelai said. "The past is the past, whatever. But that doesn't mean you can just show up whenever you want. We have a life, and we're not going to stop everything because you decide you're ready for a visit. We've moved on, and you have to do the same."

Christopher nodded slowly as understanding washed over him. "You're right, I should have called," he said. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Lorelai said shortly.

Christopher looked past her to Rory. "Are you sure you don't want to look through some of this stuff?" he asked. "I've got a first edition Poe collection."

Interest flashed in Rory's eyes, but she turned to Luke for support. He nodded towards the driveway with a simple, "Go."

Rory examined him uncertainly for another moment before she walked slowly towards her father, cradling the basketball in front of her as an extra layer of defense.

Luke stepped down from the platform and stood beside Lorelai, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and ducking his head down to hers. "You okay?" he murmured.

"Yeah," she said. "You?"

"Fine," he replied.

"You know I didn't…"

"I know," he confirmed.

Lorelai nodded, then leaned into him as she watched Rory examine a book silently while Christopher reached for a box from his trunk. "She's trying to protect us," she murmured.

"I know," he said. "That's a pretty great girl you've got there."

"I saw you tell her to go to him," Lorelai murmured. "That was really great of you."

"He's her dad."

"Well, not everyone's as lucky as April," Lorelai said softly.

Luke simply pressed a kiss to the top of her head and rubbed a soothing hand over her back, suddenly eager for this whole encounter to be over with.

A few minutes later, Rory walked over to them with a box in her arms. "I'm just going to bring this inside," she said. "Then we can keep playing?"

"Sure," Luke said with a nod.

As Rory turned towards the house, Christopher raised a hand in silent goodbye and then got into his car. Lorelai returned the wave, and then murmured to Luke, "Well, awkward first encounter over with."

Luke was suddenly glad they'd discussed their issues with Christopher earlier that week. He knew if they hadn't agreed to forgive each other on that matter and put it behind them, the last few minutes could have gone a lot differently. "You sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Positive," Lorelai said, turning to look at him. "And you know…the whole teaching Rory how to play basketball thing? You're making me fall for you all over again."

"Then I should have taught her years ago," Luke murmured, leaning in to kiss her deeply. "We're okay?" he asked when he pulled back.

"We're great," she confirmed, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again.

"Enough already, some of us are trying to know things here!" Rory called from the porch.

Luke blushed as he turned from Lorelai, and she shook her head slightly. He was going to have to be okay with kissing her in front of Rory, because suddenly she could foresee the three of them spending time together during Rory's visits home well into the future.

She knew, sometime soon, they would have to discuss April and her role in their future. The reality was, as amazing as it was to see Luke interact with Rory in a paternal way, it would never really be just the three of them. April deserved to be part of this life just as much as Rory did. But Lorelai decided to put those thoughts on hold for the time being. April was still a kid, she had a mother who loved her, and she lived across the country. Her situation was much more complicated than an adult Rory popping in when she had a free weekend, but somehow Lorelai knew that they would work around it. She could use someone to commentate with as Rory laughingly tried to block Luke's attempts to score a basket.

"Hey, put some effort into it, Gilmore!" she called.

"Just sit there and look pretty, Beyonce."

XXXXX

"Oh, there are three seats together," Lorelai pointed to the second row of Miss Patty's and pushed Luke towards them. "Hurry!"

"I hate sitting this close."

"Well, we have to get them, otherwise Rory has to sit on her own," Lorelai said.

"Why are we wasting her only Saturday night here at a town meeting?" he asked.

"You think we can find better entertainment than a town meeting?" Lorelai asked, setting her bag down and pulling out a can of Pringles. "Chip?"

"No thanks," he said dryly.

Lorelai shrugged. "More for me."

"Isn't Rory getting food?" he asked.

"We can never have enough food for a town meeting, you know that," she said. "Remember what happened last time I ran out of marshmallows?"

"Yeah, you accused Taylor of being a mobster and he threatened to have you arrested," Luke recalled.

"And he so would have left the cannoli," Lorelai said around a mouthful of chips.

"Don't get used to me doing this," he informed her.

"I know," she said.

"I don't do town meetings."

"You know, I'm starting to recognize this tree," Lorelai commented.

"Hey, I got snacks!" Rory said, suddenly appearing in the seat next to Lorelai. "Milkshake!"

"Oh, you are so my favorite daughter!" Lorelai replied.

"Here, Luke, I got you some celery," Rory said innocently, causing Lorelai to smirk.

"This is your influence," Luke shoved a finger in Lorelai's face as he took the celery.

Lorelai shoved his hand away and turned to Rory. "Got the checklist?" she asked.

"Yep," Rory said, pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket.

"What the hell is that?" Luke asked.

"Town meeting checklist," Rory replied. "In my absence, I've decided to make a list of all the things I want to see on the few meetings I can attend. I will then proceed to rank them, first by entertainment value and then by productivity. I don't expect the lists to be similar."

"Yeah, and when she's not here I'll take over the checklist system," Lorelai said. "I'm turning her room into the production studio for data analysis."

"Okay, here we go," Rory said as Taylor called the meeting to order.

"Alright, good citizens, we are here to discuss the annual Stars Hollow 4th of July celebration," he announced.

"Festival," Rory checked an item off.

"Now, this year, I was thinking that we could add some new elements to the celebration to make it more authentic," Taylor continued. "The Stars Hollow Historical Society," Rory checked the mention off her list, "has analyzed the events that took place on that fateful July 4, 1776 and has decided to recreate the town as it was to the finest detail, including the lack of electricity and modern plumbing."

Luke shifted in his seat and Lorelai tapped Rory. "We've got fidgeting."

"That's ridiculous, Taylor," Andrew called. "People wouldn't have even known something special was happening until a couple days later."

"It's the romanticism of the idea," Taylor tried to explain.

"What's romantic about outdoor toilets?" Babette shouted from the back.

"That's not the point…"

"At this time I'd like to offer my services to disconnect all toilets in your home," Kirk stood. "I have business cards, see me in the back after the meeting."

"Kirk mentions a job," Rory nodded.

"If you people would look past the superficial elements of the day, we can focus on the more important details," Taylor said in an exasperated tone. "I have been nominated to portray George Washington…"

"By who?" Gypsy demanded.

"Yeah, I never got a ballot," Andrew stated.

"Well, the town elders have a rigorous process which is very exclusive and cannot be revealed to the common public," Taylor explained.

"That's six shades of red," Rory commented, leaning over Lorelai to look at Luke as he leaned forward and stared at the floor, hands clasped tightly in front of him.

Lorelai bit off the end of a red vine. "I give it another seventy seconds before he explodes," she predicted.

"Now, we have to discuss the elements of clothing," Taylor said. "The leaders of the town will of course be dressed in full military regalia, with the women wearing full bodied skirts and corsets."

"We want equal rights!" Lorelai called out. "Women can wear pants too!"

"Now, some of the less…traditional members of the town will be asked to wear costumes that some might interpret as a bit sensitive," Taylor prefaced. He turned to Lorelai as he said, "While it may seem offensive today, wearing the letter A was not uncommon…"

"That's it!" Luke shouted, jumping out of his chair and causing Lorelai and Rory to huddle together in a fit of giggles. "This is insane, Taylor! We are not going to parade around dressing up like a bunch of lunatics, and you are not going to make _anyone_ wear a letter on their shirt for any reason. We are not going to shut off the plumbing or electricity because that sounds dangerous and frankly downright disgusting. We're going to do the same damn thing we always do, have a reading of the Declaration of Independence, march around with patriotic shirts, sing Proud to be an American, and watch some fireworks. Somewhere in there, we'll eat a burger, drink a beer, and discuss how great this country is. And you know what's great about this country? Freedom! Freedom that you are taking away from us with all your insane ideas!"

"Oh, it's getting political," Lorelai said to Rory. "You should write about this on your website."

Rory sipped at her milkshake. "I wish I'd brought my tape recorder."

"Lucas, your father would…"

"My father would call you a damn fool for shutting off the power to the entire town!" Luke shouted. "This whole idea is crazy."

"Yeah, Luke's right," Babette called. "Why should we have to suffer?"

"Isn't that why they had a revolution, so we wouldn't have to suffer like they did?" Gypsy asked.

"Actually, I think it was because they didn't like tea parties," Kirk interjected.

"Let's push the damn tea into the harbor!" Lorelai declared.

"All in favor of the usual town hall celebration?" Patty called, bored with the idea.

"I," The entire room raised their hand in unison as Taylor sighed dejectedly.

"Far be it for me to provide you with a historical experience," he said. "Now, moving on…"

"Good job, hon," Lorelai patted Luke's knee. "You saved us from having to dig a hole next to Paul Anka's."

He shot her a glare, and she held a Ziploc out to him. "Celery?"

XXXXX

"Well, that was a very successful meeting," Rory said as the three of them walked towards the diner an hour later.

"We got nothing accomplished," Luke pointed out.

"Yes, but the entertainment value was exceptionally high," Rory said.

"I don't think anyone has ever dared take the gavel from Taylor before," Lorelai commented. "I hope Kirk made it home okay."

"Even Kirk could outrun Taylor," Luke said, placing a cup of coffee in front of each of them.

"Kirk is surprisingly fit," Rory agreed.

"Pie?" Luke asked.

"You have to ask?" Lorelai replied.

"Sorry," he moved to the other end of the counter to cut into the display.

Lorelai took a sip of her coffee and turned to Rory. "So tomorrow do you want to hit the mall?" she asked. "You need wrinkle free clothing and I need new shoes."

"You do not need new shoes," Luke interjected as he placed a piece of pie in front of each of them.

"No ice cream?" Lorelai asked.

He sighed in exasperation and took the plates into the kitchen. She turned back to Rory and asked, "So what do you think?"

"Sounds good," Rory said. "It is surprising how few motels have irons in this country."

"Well, they can't all be charming and thoughtful like your mother's fine establishment," Lorelai commented.

"I gave you an extra scoop so you won't demand more later," Luke announced as he returned their plates to them.

"You are the perfect man," Lorelai said dreamily.

"Aw jeez."

Rory smiled as she took a bite of pie. "Mmm, blueberry," she said. She sipped her coffee and then glanced towards the storage room, where Luke had disappeared to. "Things are going well, huh?"

"They are," Lorelai said.

"Things seemed okay today with Dad's impromptu visit," Rory commented. "Luke indicated that you talked about it."

"Yeah, that's water under the bridge," Lorelai said. "Not the prettiest water, but at least it's gone."

Rory nodded. "What about April?" she asked.

Lorelai glanced to the storage room and, noticing that the coast was still clear, admitted, "April is still the prettiest ghost in the room."

"You haven't talked about her at all?" Rory asked.

"Not aside from a couple mentions in relations to other things," Lorelai said. "I think she'll be our next big fight."

"There have been fights?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged and stabbed at a lone blueberry. "Not fights so much as…conversations with a lot of emotion and an accusation or two," she said. "We've been spreading them out so we can really focus on one issue at a time."

"And April's the next issue?" Rory asked.

"Well, we covered my inability to commit and Luke's communication issues, and then moved on to your dad," Lorelai said. "April's the next big hurdle. And by hurdle I mean cute, smart girl. None of this is her fault."

Rory smiled sympathetically. "She seems nice," she offered.

Lorelai shrugged. "I wouldn't know," she said.

Sensing her mother's abrupt mood change, Rory decided to lighten things up. "How about manicures and pedicures tomorrow?" she asked. "My treat."

Lorelai smiled at her in appreciation. "Well, look at that, working girl," she said. "You do owe me for all the times I treated you."

"I know I'll be paying you back for the rest of my life," Rory sighed.

"Hey, you could have bought your own diapers," Lorelai shrugged.

"You didn't tell me that at the time," Rory said.

"Well, it's my fault then," Lorelai nodded. She stood and moved towards the coffee pot. "More?"

"Luke's going to get mad," Rory informed her.

"Then I'll flip my hair," Lorelai shrugged. "Works every time."

"Lorelai, get out from behind here," he said, appearing behind the counter and taking her elbow, gently pushing her towards her stool.

She flashed him a smile and then casually flipped her hair over her shoulder with a toss of her head. "I was just getting coffee," she said innocently.

"The hair flip doesn't work when you _announce_ you're going to do the hair flip," he informed her.

"Good to know," she confirmed. She turned to Rory. "You ready to go home?"

Rory shoved the last bite of pie into her mouth and nodded. "Yep, I'm good," she said.

Lorelai leaned over to kiss Luke. "See you later?" she asked.

"Yeah, come in for breakfast tomorrow," Luke said.

She frowned as she pulled back. "You're not coming over?" she asked.

"Oh," he said, glancing in Rory's direction. "I…"

"Don't worry about me," Rory said, holding up her hands innocently. "I'm fine with you being there." She turned towards the door, giving Luke and Lorelai some privacy.

Lorelai turned to look at him, examining his expression carefully. "She's okay with it," she said.

"I know, I just thought…I've never stayed over when she's been home," Luke said.

"Yeah, and I seem to remember you saying something about not being part of my relationship with Rory," Lorelai said. "That was wrong of me…choosing her or you. I can choose both of you."

"I don't know…"

"Luke," she sighed, glancing towards Rory and lowering her voice. "We're not even having sex. You were there before she woke up this morning. It's okay, really."

He didn't say anything, but she could see the wheels turning in his head. "It's her home," he said.

"And mine," Lorelai said. "I won't be mad either way. If you want to think about it, that's fine. I want you there, Rory's fine with you being there, but if you're not comfortable, that's okay. I think we'll need to talk about it in the future though."

He glanced towards Rory, who quickly averted her gaze and pretended like she wasn't watching them. "You're really okay with it?" he called to her.

Rory nodded and held up her hand. "Scout's honor."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You weren't a scout," he said.

"I was until Mom ate all my cookies and refused to pay for them," Rory reported with a pointed look at Lorelai.

"You did okay without those ridiculous outfits," Lorelai shrugged.

Luke shook his head and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Give me an hour to clean the kitchen," he requested.

She beamed up at him. "Thank you," she said.

He squeezed her arm then stepped behind the counter. "See you in a bit, Rory," he said.

Rory offered him a smile. "See you in a bit, Luke," she said.

"Come on, babe," Lorelai said, wrapping an arm around Rory. "We have a boy coming over, we have to hide the pictures of shirtless men we've got lying around."

XXXXX

"I find it extremely impressive that a presidential candidate can so thoroughly embrace popular culture," Rory commented later that night.

"Well, he's got my vote based on his voice alone," Lorelai commented as she watched Senator Obama slow jam the news with Jimmy Fallon. "Does he always sounds that se…. seriously committed to being a strong leader?" she changed her statement as she caught Luke's warning gaze.

"He does have a good voice," Rory agreed. "It's actually a political strategy to make sure people hear him, get the image of an all American guy out there."

"Plus he plays basketball so now you can be best friends with him," Lorelai said. "Thanks to Luke's excellent teaching skills."

"Hey, that was natural talent," Luke said. "All I did was tell you when to let go of the ball."

"Yeah, well, my natural talent is making me sore," Rory said. "I'm going to bed. Night."

"Night, honey," Lorelai said, kissing Rory's cheek. Luke chimed in a goodnight of his own before Rory disappeared into her room.

Lorelai reached for the remote and shut the TV off, then turned to Luke. "It's not that bad, right?" she asked.

He rubbed her leg tenderly. "Not at all," he said.

"Good," Lorelai said. "Let's go to bed."

He followed her up the stairs and they took turns changing in the bathroom. When Lorelai emerged, clad in his flannel shirt and leggings, Luke was already under the covers with a book in his hands.

"You're reading?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Why?"

"Nothing," she said, sliding under the covers next to him. "I just…don't think I've ever really seen you read before."

"Well, April likes to read and she likes to talk about what she reads, so I figured this was a good way to have some conversation topics in my back pocket," he said. "I don't know if you're aware, but teenage girls can sometimes be difficult to talk to."

Lorelai gasped. "You're kidding!" she exclaimed. "I thought we were all open books."

He laughed and turned back to his book. He felt her eyes on him and looked up to meet her gaze. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm just really glad you're here," she said. "Having you and Rory here, it feels good, it feels right."

"I'm glad you're happy," he said, rubbing her leg over the covers.

She smiled slightly, but then gently reached out and took his book from his hands. She put it on the nightstand and then turned to him. "It's not complete," she whispered. "Not for you."

He sighed and shook his head. "No, it's not," he admitted.

"We need to talk about April," she said carefully, watching him to see how he'd react.

"I know we do."

"She has to be part of this, Luke," she said. "Today, watching you and Rory, it was so amazing. And I know I don't really know April, but I was thinking that there is room for more love here, for more family. There's a spot for her here. I barely know her and I missed her today."

"I miss her too," he said.

"But you have to let it happen," she said. "We can't live here in this fantasy world and fall into a routine with Rory and then shove April into your apartment with you when she comes to visit. That's not fair to any of us. Including her."

"I know."

"So you'll do it?" she asked. "You'll let us figure out how she fits into this unique little family we're forming?"

"Of course I will," he said. "But it's late and after seeing Christopher today..."

"I know," she said. "I know now's not the time, but I guess I just need to know that you'll be ready to talk about it. Soon."

"Thursday?" he asked.

"Thursday," she confirmed. She leaned down to kiss him gently, then reached to turn off her light. "I had a really great day," she said quietly.

He shifted and tossed an arm over her stomach. "Me too," he murmured into her neck.

"I love you," she trailed her fingers over his arm.

He pressed a warm kiss to her collarbone. "I love you too."

"You're getting pretty good at saying that."

"I'm trying," he said, and his tone told her he was talking about more than just his words.

"I am too," she sighed. "I'm proud of us."

"Hmm," he agreed, his breath becoming even and his arm becoming heavier around her waist.

"Are you asleep?"

"Hmm."

"Luke?" When there was no response, she whispered, "I want to marry you."

His even breathing filled the room and Lorelai shifted slightly, snuggling deeper into his embrace as she prepared to sleep. Her eyes were just starting to drift closed when she felt his grip on her tighten. "Want that too," he murmured into her shoulder

With that, Lorelai slipped into a very pleasant dream that involved Luke and the chuppah he'd built for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so glad you're all enjoying the story. Thanks for the feedback!**

* * *

"Can I help?" Lorelai asked as she leaned against the counter in Luke's apartment, a glass of wine cradled in her hand.

Luke looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Is this a real offer or are you going to tell me you've been diagnosed carpal tunnel again?" he asked.

"I'm just trying to be interested in the things you're interested in," Lorelai explained. "I can't help it if I'm not _good_ at those things."

Luke could see she was making a real effort to fix what had been a sore spot between the two of them in the past and nodded. "Want to peel the potatoes?" he asked.

"Sure," she nodded. "Show me how?"

"I've already shown you how."

"I know, I just like how you show me," Lorelai said. "Forget pottery, they should have had a cooking lesson in Ghost."

Wanting to humor her and also wanting to be closer to her, Luke wordlessly turned down the temperature on the stove, reached for a potato peeler and the bowl of potatoes and turned to Lorelai. "Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and took the peeler and a potato out of his hand. As she turned to the sink, he placed the bowl on the kitchen table and stepped directly behind her. He could feel her body become more alert as he rested his hands on top of hers, gently gliding the peeler of the potato and dropping the skins into the sink. She sighed in pleasure, and murmured, "If all school was like this I never would have dropped out."

He dropped his hands to her waist and pressed a kiss to her neck, his breath hot against her ear. "I'll give you a thorough report on your progress later," he breathed.

Lorelai felt her heart rate speed up, and just as she was about to abandon the potatoes, Luke's phone rang. "Keep peeling," he pressed one more kiss to the back of her head before he went to answer the phone.

"Hey April!...how was your day?"

Lorelai sighed and continued to peel the potatoes as she listened to Luke's side of the conversation with his daughter. She had to admit, it was heartwarming. Luke obviously cherished his role as a father, and she'd never have thought she'd seen him wearing bracelets or discussing Harry Potter books. Even now as he talked over the phone, she could hear the pride and genuine interest in April that she'd never heard from him before. Maybe a touch with Rory, who he loved like his own, but had always had that line he couldn't entirely cross. Probably because she'd been standing in the way, but she was trying to work past that.

"Yeah, she's here, we're about to start dinner."

Lorelai looked up, wondering what April had asked. They were obviously talking about her now.

"We'll see if we can do that, I'll have to check with her though…I'm sure she'd love that…yeah, hang on."

Luke turned to her and held the phone out. "She wants to talk to you," he said.

Lorelai froze, then turned to look at him with uncertainty written across her features. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "She won't bite, she likes you."

"It's not her I'm worried about," Lorelai replied, dropping the peeler into the sink and washing her hands.

"Hey," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. I want you to talk to her."

Still not entirely sure, Lorelai took the phone hesitantly. Her face was filled with nerves and tension, but Luke was amazed to hear her normal, chipper tone when she spoke. "Hi, April!"

"Hey, Lorelai!" her voice came across the end of the line. "I'm so glad you're there and working things out with Dad!"

It was the first time Lorelai had heard him addressed as such, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of Luke, who'd gone back to his cooking. He really was succeeding at this teenage daughter thing.

"Well, we're working things out," Lorelai said. "Hey, how's your camp?"

"It's great!" April exclaimed. "We went on this field trip to the Boston Museum of Science today, and they explained their new exhibit on genetic testing of prehistoric remains to find connections to homo sapiens."

"Wow, that sounds…fun," Lorelai hoped that was the right adjective.

"So I was just telling Dad that we should _all_ go on a boat trip," April said. "I know it was just supposed to be me and him, but now that you're back together you should come too."

"Oh, honey, that's really sweet of you," Lorelai said. "But I think your dad was hoping to spend some time alone with you."

"Oh," April's voice sounded dejected. "Okay."

"But we'll find something else to do," Lorelai said quickly. "You'll be here for two weeks, right?"

"Yeah," April said.

"Well, maybe the three of us could check out the new park in Litchfield," she suggested. "They have all sorts of activities, mini golf and stuff like that."

"That would be fun," April giggled. "I can't wait to see Dad playing mini golf."

"Well, if it's anything like when he plays regular golf, we'll need to make sure to spoil him that night," Lorelai replied. "And hey…" She paused for a moment, looking at Luke before she took a leap of faith. "Maybe you and I could go get our nails done or something. Leave the manly man to sort his tools."

Luke turned to glare at her, but she could see the smile threatening to work its way forward.

"That would be so much fun!" April exclaimed. "I've never had a manicure before, my mom always said they're not necessary."

"Oh," Lorelai said, suddenly remembering that there was a mom very much involved in this picture. A mom who hated her. She'd have to think of some Anna approved girly activities to take part in with April. "Well, we can figure out something else."

"Thanks, Lorelai, I can't wait!" April said excitedly. "Listen, I have to go because they're talking to us about the pros and cons of genetic modification of different plant species during dinner tonight."

"Okay, well, uh…bon appetite," Lorelai said.

"Lorelai?" April said, her voice somewhat unsure.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you're back," April said. "Dad seems happy."

Lorelai smiled as she looked at Luke. "I think he is, sweetie," she said.

"Bye, Lorelai!"

"Bye." Lorelai hung up the phone and placed it on the table before she moved to Luke, wrapping her arms around his stomach from behind. "That's one great kid you've got there," she murmured into his ear.

Luke shrugged. "Doesn't have much to do with me," he said.

"I disagree," Lorelai murmured. "She worships you, Luke. I could tell just from that one conversation."

"She's pretty special all on her own," Luke said proudly.

Lorelai squeezed him one more time before she stated, "I think it's in the DNA."

"Did she ask you about the boat trip?" he asked curiously as she resumed her task of peeling potatoes.

"Oh," Lorelai said. "Um, yeah, but I told her you probably wanted that to just be the two of you."

"You can come if you want," Luke said. "It's not going to be the big trip I was planning, just a night or two."

She smiled appreciatively. "I love that you're including me, Luke, I really do," she said. "But you guys need some time to yourselves. I get that. As long as I'm let in some of the time I'll be fine."

He nodded. "I know," he said.

"And I kind of suggested to April that maybe she and I could spend some time together," Lorelai said hesitantly. "If it's okay with you."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I think it's great," he said. "I mean, you're going to be her stepmother, you need to…" He froze as he realized what he'd said.

"It's okay, Luke," she said. "We're still in this weird, really happy, but still have things to figure out bubble. We both know where we want this to end up."

"I know," he sighed. "It's just so easy to think things are how they were."

"They're not," Lorelai said, turning to him. "They're better."

Luke considered that for a moment. "Yeah, I guess they are," he said.

"Look," she said, holding out a potato to him. "How'd I do?"

He offered her a warm smile as he examined the potato, then met her gaze. "Amazing," he told her.

"Really?" she cried happily.

"Really," he confirmed.

Lorelai smiled proudly. "I did have a good teacher," she relented.

"Make sure you thank him properly."

"I will be sure to do that." She washed her hands and then reached for her wine. "So it sounds like Anna has some pretty strong opinions about what activities April does or does not partake in."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"Well, when I suggested we go for manicures April said her mom thinks they're not necessary," Lorelai said. "And while I do want to have fun with April and tarnish that whole evil stepmom stereotype that I refuse to be part of, I don't want to do it by helping April do the things Anna won't let her do."

"That's a fair point," Luke said.

"I mean, it's a tale as old as time, right?" Lorelai said. "The mom gets jealous because the stepmom does the fun stuff while the mom gets stuck with the everyday. That's not fair to Anna."

"You're right," he said, reaching for his beer and turning to look at Lorelai. "I'm trying here, Lorelai."

"I know you are, I'm not saying you're not," she said quickly. "But Christopher wasn't ever involved in Rory's upbringing. He never even had any legal rights to her. This whole co parenting thing is completely foreign to me too."

"I guess I'll have to call Anna," Luke said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew she was going through a lot, but the woman he'd dated years ago was very different than the one she'd become.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do," Lorelai said. "I'm in the backseat, I get it. You and Anna call the shots. But I just think the three of us should at least be on the same page about where boundaries are for April. Especially now that she's a teenager and we're going to be facing things like curfews and driving."

"I'll call her this week," Luke promised.

Fear flashed in Lorelai's eyes as she nodded. "Okay," she said.

Luke reached out and pulled her closer. "It'll be okay," he promised. "I've grown a lot, I've learned a lot. I'm not going to let her push me around like I did last time."

"Okay," Lorelai said. "I want to believe you, Luke, I really do. And I believe that you're trying. I think, maybe, it's just going to take time for me to really know it."

"I've got time," Luke promised.

"And wine?" Lorelai asked, holding her empty glass up to him.

"And wine," he confirmed. "You staying over?"

"Why, you need me out of here before the strippers get here?" Lorelai teased.

"No, I need to know when to switch you to coffee if you're going to be driving," Luke replied as he refilled her glass.

"Leave the bottle, mister, I'm not going anywhere," Lorelai said.

Luke obliged by filling her glass more than he usually would have.

"Trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me?" she asked.

"Nah, I like my women caffeinated, not intoxicated."

She laughed. "How about a little of both?" she asked.

"Throw in some crazy and she's the perfect woman," Luke replied.

"Why, Luke Danes, who would have thought you'd be such a smooth talker with the ladies?"

"They didn't call me Butch for nothing," Luke informed her.

"Hey, did you have a letterman jacket?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing, just trying to picture it," Lorelai said. "The All American Luke Danes, all the guys wanted to be him, all the girls wanted to be with him. Heads turned as he walked down the hall. Crowds parted in order to make room for his looming presence."

"It wasn't like that," he said.

"Really?" she asked.

"Nah, I just stuck to my own group of friends," Luke shrugged. "And Rachel and I went out for most of high school, so girls weren't interested."

"It was probably more because they knew you were taken," Lorelai pointed out.

He shrugged. "Whatever," he said. "You couldn't pay me enough to go back."

"Me neither," Lorelai said. "Who would have thought, Stars Hollow's athlete of the year would have ended up with Hartford's scandal girl."

Luke offered her a sympathetic smile. "It must have been hard," he said softly. "Kids can be cruel."

"It wasn't so bad," Lorelai said. "I mean, thank god for the baggy sweaters from the eighties. But by the time junior year started Rory was pretty well defined. I kept going to prove a point."

"That is not surprising," he said.

"And there was this one girl, Missy Tompkins, who kept spraying this really potent cleaning solution on my locker because she knew it made me sick," Lorelai said. "But then I puked on the floor in front of her locker to get her back."

"Again, not surprising," he laughed. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"For puking in front of Missy Tompkins' locker?" Lorelai asked.

"No," he laughed. "For having a kid so young. And not only that, but doing it on your own and still going to school, no matter what people thought of you. Raising Rory when you had nothing to start with. The Dragonfly. Giving me another chance. Wanting a relationship with April, and willingly participating in her upbringing after what I put you through. And to still be here, sitting with me, flirting and smiling, you're just…amazing."

Lorelai smiled self consciously. "We both know I've had my moments," she said.

"Yeah, but I guess I never really thought about everything you went through as a teenager," Luke said. "Going to school pregnant and growing up overnight must have been so overwhelming."

"You know something about growing up quickly," Lorelai said softly.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Luke said, sitting down at the table and placing a plate in front of them.

"As much as my parents drive me crazy, they've always been there for Rory," Lorelai tested the waters. "It must be hard, with April."

"It is," he nodded. "And with you. They would have loved you."

"I hope so," Lorelai whispered.

"My mom was a lot like you," he offered.

Lorelai smiled curiously. Luke had rarely shared information about his mother with her, and she didn't want to push it too far. "So she was exceptionally beautiful and loved by all."

"She was," he laughed. "She could make me smile. And when something was bugging me she wouldn't stop talking until I talked to her about it. She loved movies. I remember her and my dad, every Saturday night, would go to the movies, just the two of them. On Sunday mornings we'd get the complete Victoria Danes analysis of whatever we'd seen the night before. Not that I cared, but that didn't seem to stop her."

Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "You never told me your mom's name was Victoria," she said.

He shrugged. "I guess it just never came up," he said.

"My middle name is Victoria," she said.

"I know. Talk about coincidence, huh?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said, biting into her dinner.

"I always thought if I ever had a daughter, that's what I would name her," Luke said. "I don't know, maybe that's cheesy…"

"It's not," Lorelai assured him. "It's a beautiful name, in my very unbiased opinion."

He smiled and shook his head. "Well, it's a moot point now," he shrugged. "April doesn't really look like a Victoria."

"No, she doesn't," Lorelai agreed. She pushed her chicken around her plate for a moment before she almost whispered, "Maybe someday there will be another Victoria Danes."

Luke looked up at her with a small smile on his face. "Maybe," he said, his eyes holding her gaze.

"Hopefully."

"Hopefully," he nodded in agreement.

They smiled at each other for a long moment before she looked around the apartment. "So what are the chances of you modeling your letterman jacket for me tonight?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"None."

"Come on, Butch," she said in a singsong voice. "It would just mean the world to me to wear your jacket."

"Eat your dinner."

"You gave me your pin," Lorelai continued, batting her eyelashes at him. "Will you go steady with me?"

"If you don't stop right now I won't make you coffee in the morning."

"Fine, mood killer," Lorelai sighed.

"Thank you."

"So onto more important things," Lorelai said. "Mini golf."

"Mini golf?"

"Mini golf," Lorelai confirmed.

"Since when is mini golf an important topic?" he asked.

"Since your daughter and I decided it would be a nice outing for the three of us," Lorelai said. "Now, Luke, I know that you may have some PTSD issues when it comes to golf. But April will be there, so you're going to have to keep the cursing and the scotch consumption to a minimum."

"Well, your father won't be there, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"I'm sure you could speak about the Greeks," Lorelai said. "April would probably appreciate that, but it would probably be a lateral move since I would begin drinking at that point."

"How about we start our own golf traditions?" Luke suggested.

"That sounds nice," Lorelai said. "You might have outdone yourself this time, Cool Hand. This chicken pesto is outstanding."

"I'm glad you like it."

"Where'd you find the recipe?"

"I made it up," he shrugged.

"You made it up?" she asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, it's no big deal."

"Wow, I wish I could do that," Lorelai said. "Unless there are Pop Tarts or frosting involved, I'm pretty much tapped out. Hey, do you think now that I can peel a potato I can make up a real recipe?"

"Why don't we move on to carrot peeling and see where that takes us?" he suggested.

"As long as you use the hands on approach I think it will take us very far," she confirmed.

XXXXX

"Okay, we've got half an hour before we have to leave, which means I can get at least three cups of…" Lorelai's voice trailed off as she waltzed into the diner and realized that Luke was not anywhere to be seen. "Where are you?"

"Luke left an hour ago," Kirk reported from the counter.

"He _left?"_ Lorelai repeated. "Where did he go?"

"He didn't disclose the location to me, but I presume it was somewhere relatively important," Kirk reported. "Luke is not known to leave the diner unless it is relatively important. Or unless he's going to see you. But as you can plainly see, Luke is not with you, so therefore it must have been a relatively important matter."

"Thanks, Kirk," Lorelai said slowly. She dropped her purse on the counter and pulled out her cell phone, frowning at the lack of messages. She and Luke were supposed to drive to therapy together, but she also knew that they were planning on discussing April today. If he'd left, maybe he'd gotten scared of the whole situation. She'd thought they'd made progress, but maybe she'd pushed too far after taking to April on the phone the night before.

She moved around the counter and poured herself a cup of coffee into a to go cup, not paying attention to the world around her. She sipped the coffee slowly, sputtering when she felt a familiar hand on her shoulder, tugging her out from behind the counter.

"Jeez, Lorelai, didn't you hear me?" Luke asked, having materialized out of nowhere.

"Please, if a bag of flour squashes me like a bug you'd miss me too much to care what the insurance company says," Lorelai replied.

"Well, stay out from behind the counter and you won't be attacked by falling bags of flour," Luke said. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said, following him out to his truck. "Hey, where were you?" she asked when he'd merged onto the highway.

"What?"

"When I got to the diner, where were you?" she asked.

"Oh, Liz had a question about something important, so I stopped by her place," Luke replied.

"Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, with the exception of TJ explaining to me in great detail how they're trying to have another kid, everything's fine," Luke said.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows. "Another kid?" she asked. "Wow."

"Yeah, Liz keeps yammering about her biological clock and fertility and a bunch of other stuff I don't want to know," he continued.

"Yeah, that clock is ticking," Lorelai murmured.

"You okay?" Luke asked, glancing over at her.

She flashed him a smile. "Yeah, just pre-Abby nerves."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," she said as he pulled into the parking lot and shut off the engine. "This is it, Luke. In there, today, we're going to face this last huge obstacle."

"I'm nervous too," he assured her.

She sighed and reached for the car door. "Let's just get it over with," she requested.

"Hey," Luke put a hand on top of hers and she looked at him expectantly. "I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too."

Ten minutes later, they were seated in Abby's office, and, having exchange pleasantries and updates about their week, were silent.

Finally, Abby noted, "It sounds like you guys have already started talking about how April is going to be involved in your future."

"We did," Lorelai said. "And I feel good about it."

"That's good," Abby said. "But maybe we should focus on how her appearance has affected the past."

Luke nodded and ran a hand over his hat.

"Lorelai?" Abby prompted.

Lorelai nodded and turned to look at Luke. "I want you to know," she said. "Before we start this, I know that none of this is April's fault. I like her, Luke, I really do, and I don't want anything I say to be interpreted otherwise."

He nodded. "I know," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "I guess, just going back to the very beginning is the question of _why_ you didn't tell me about her in the first place."

"Well, she came into the diner all demanding and rambling about DNA and science fairs," Luke said. "She pulled a hair off my head and then she was gone. But she'd told me who her mom was, and I figured…I don't know, I thought it was a possibility that she was my kid, but the Anna I had known would have told me. So I figured it wasn't necessary to tell you. But then I got curious, so I went to the science fair just to see what the results were."

"But Luke, I would have gone with you," Lorelai said. "You'd been there for me, so strong and supportive during the months when Rory was gone. I could have done that for you. I would have gone to that science fair with you so you wouldn't have had to do that on your own. It must have been so overwhelming."

"It was," Luke admitted. "But I think the way things were with Rory at the time may have been part of the reason I hid April."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" she asked.

"You were so sad, Lorelai," he said. "And April came in and I just couldn't add any more stress to your life, not without being sure. By the time I was sure, Rory was back and you were spending so much time with her, I just didn't want to ruin that."

"It wouldn't have ruined it," Lorelai whispered. "Luke, this was a huge moment for you. We were going to get married, I was going to be your wife. When you agree to marry someone, you agree to tell them when you get huge, life altering news."

"I know, it was wrong," Luke said.

"But we worked past that," Lorelai said. "I had accepted it, and with April's birthday party there was a point in time where I thought it would all work out."

"Me too," he said, thinking back to that perfect day. Lorelai had saved the party, his daughter had been ecstatic, and he had been able to picture many, many more moments between the three of them like that.

"So what happened?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, Anna said that she wasn't exactly comfortable with April spending time with you," Luke murmured. "And at the time, I didn't have any paternal rights for April. I was scared that if I pushed back she'd take April away."

"So you pushed me away," Lorelai said. "Instead of explaining that and trying to fight for custody, you let her call the shots. I mean, for god's sake, Luke, you cancelled our wedding!"

"Postponed."

"Cancelled," Lorelai replied. "Postponed would have been, 'Hey, let's wait until August.'"

"You offered!"

"Because it was the only way to help!" Lorelai shouted. "I didn't know what else to do, Luke! Last time I tried to tell you how I felt you dumped me in the middle of the market. I couldn't push you, I was trying to give you time!"

"I know," Luke said. "I guess I was pretty self absorbed at that time."

Lorelai sighed. "Look, what's happened has happened," she said. "Maybe it was partially my fault, for letting it build up inside of me. But you should have been there, you should have noticed!"

"I'm sorry I didn't," Luke murmured. "I'm sorry I hid her, I'm sorry I pushed you away. I'm sorry for all of it."

"Thank you," Lorelai whispered. "I know you are."

Abby scooted forward in her seat. "I think there's another layer of this that we need to discuss," she said gently. "Looking into the future, I want you both to think about how you want Lorelai to be involved in April's life. Obviously her mom is going to have a major role in her life, but April is part of your family too. I want you to think about what that's going to look like, and how you're going to work as a team with Anna."

Lorelai swallowed hard as she turned to Luke. "Well, we kind of talked about this last night," she said. "And for me, I guess, I want to just be involved. I know that I won't have a say in things like custody arrangements or medical decisions or big things like that. But I do think that when April is staying with us, I should have some sort of presence and not just be the extra body in the room. And if April does come to me for advice about anything, which I hope eventually she'll be comfortable doing, I want to know that I can give it to her without having to ask you or Anna for permission. I get that she has two parents who love her and are there for her and are communicating about what's best for her. I'm glad of that, for her sake. I'm not trying to take Anna's place at all. I just think that we can find a way that I could have a role in April's life. Not just as your girlfriend or wife, but as a supplemental parental unit."

"That's fair," Luke said. "I want those things too. And in regards to Anna, I feel more comfortable talking to her about these things. Legally, she can't keep April from me, and now that I know what it's like to be without you, _really_ be without you, I'm willing to fight her harder if I have to. I know April wants you to be part of her life. She adores you."

"Why do you think Anna's so hesitant to have April spend time around me?" Lorelai asked. "Did you ever figure out why?"

Luke sighed and leaned back in his seat. "No, I never got some confirmation," he said. "But I think she might have been threatened by you."

"Threatened by me?" Lorelai said. "Why?"

"Well, you're like the teenage whisperer and April kept going on and on about how great you are, and I think it may have made Anna a little jealous," Luke cleared his throat. "And I can kind of relate, because when I did see you start to spend time with April, I started to feel like maybe she'd eventually like you more than she liked me."

"What?" Lorelai asked. "Luke, you're her _father."_

"I know, but we both know that I'm not the most fun guy in the world," Luke said. "I was still getting to know April, and when I saw how you just effortlessly planned a perfect party at the last second and started chatting away with April, it felt like the two of you didn't even need me."

"I thought I was helping," she whispered.

"You _were,"_ Luke said. "But I just didn't want to get lost in the shuffle."

Lorelai sighed. "I raised a teenage girl, Luke. I _was_ a teenage girl. That's all that was. I wanted to help you and make the day special for April. I was never trying to take anything away from you, or from Anna."

"I know that now," he said. "And I want you to have all of those things, really, I do. You're not just an extra person, Lorelai, for all intents and purposes you're her stepmother. That means something."

"Let's try to think of something else that doesn't involve the connotation that I have wrinkles on my face and a cauldron in the basement," Lorelai requested.

Luke smiled, but reached out to touch her knee. "We're good?" he asked.

"I want to be, Luke," she whispered. "And if it was just the two of us, I'd completely believe that we were ready to take each other's hands and jump off that cliff. But it's not just us."

"Anna," he said knowingly.

"Anna," Lorelai confirmed. "I don't know what I did or why she hates me or resents me. But we have to reach some sort of agreement with her. I can't be constantly second guessing myself whenever I interact with April. She has to accept this, Luke, because if she doesn't…"

Her voice trailed off and Luke frowned. "What?" he asked.

Tears filled Lorelai's eyes and she looked up at the ceiling to gather strength. "If Anna can't accept my presence in April's life then I have to walk away," she said, her voice shaking.

"What?" Luke asked. "No!"

"I do, Luke!" she insisted. "If it comes down to you choosing between me and April, I won't even make you choose. We both know that if you chose me over your daughter then you're not the kind of man I could be with anyway."

"No," Luke repeated, more forcefully this time. "You're not going to walk away, we're not going to let Anna ruin this. She has no say over who I decide to live my life with."

"She's April's mother, Luke," Lorelai said.

"And I'm her father," Luke replied. "I'll talk to her, we'll work this out. We're not letting this go, not this time. We haven't fought through everything just to let her stand in the way."

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest. "I know you believe that," she said. "And I hope it works out that way. But I just can't be fully okay with it until I know where she stands."

Luke stared at her for a moment before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Lorelai narrowed her eyes as he flipped it open.

"Calling Anna, right now," he said.

"Luke," Abby interjected. "That's a bit presumptive. Why don't you go home, take some time to process what you and Lorelai have talked about, and then call her when you're a little calmer."

Luke turned to look at Lorelai. "I want you to know," he said. "I want to make this better for you."

"I know you do," she murmured. "But Abby's right. Let's go home, and you can call her from there."

Luke looked at her carefully before he nodded. "Okay," he said. "I just…you have to know, Lorelai, I'll do everything I can to make this work. I'm not giving up this time."

She nodded sadly. "I know you won't," she said. "I just wish it was that simple."

"Why don't we end a little early today," Abby suggested. "I don't think much more is going to get accomplished until you've spoken with Anna."

Lorelai nodded as she stood, Luke rising beside her. "Thanks, Abby," she said.

"You guys are doing wonderfully," Abby said with a warm smile. "You've come a long way in the past month. Pretty soon you won't need me anymore."

Luke reached out to squeeze Lorelai's shoulder and she offered him a smile over her shoulder. "I hope not," she said, then frowned. "No offense."

"None taken" Abby walked them to the door. "Good luck, Luke."

As they walked towards the truck, Lorelai rested her head on Luke's shoulder. "We did that with minimal yelling," she observed.

"I deserved to be yelled at more," he murmured into her hair, his thumb rubbing her shoulder gently.

"I'm tired of yelling," Lorelai whispered. "I'm tired of straddling this line. I'm tired of waiting. If we're going to be together, I want to really be together. Dates, living together, really merging our lives this time."

"We'll do it," he promised.

"You don't know that."

"Hey," he turned her so she was facing him. "Don't do this. You're pulling back into yourself, and this time I won't let you. Just like I won't let Anna dictate my life."

"We're talking in circles here, Luke," she said. "Let's go, I have to check in at the inn."

He nodded and held the car door open for her. She climbed inside and buckled her seatbelt, not looking at him as he slid into his own seat. She was uncharacteristically silent as he drove, and when he pulled off the highway she murmured, "Can you take me to the inn?"

"Sure," he said, changing his course to maneuver the truck past the town square to the other side of town. When he pulled up the driveway, Lorelai had the car door open before he'd even stopped the car. "Hey," he called across the truck, and she turned to look at him, one foot already firmly planted on the ground. "It's going to be okay."

She nodded and then looked up at him with a smile, the fake one that he'd seen too much of in his lifetime. How had he ever fallen for that? "I'll have Sookie take me home," she said. "Bye."

"Lorelai," he called and she sighed before she turned to look at him again. "I love you."

Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. "I love you too," she whispered before slipping out of the truck and slamming the door behind her.

Luke watched her walk inside, wondering whether he should go after her or let her pull away. It wasn't unusual for her to contemplate their discussions on the ride home, but today something had been different. She was putting her walls back up, and he wanted nothing more than to break through them and make her talk.

But he also knew that Lorelai wasn't going to listen to rational thought until he talked to Anna. It wasn't a conversation he particularly wanted to have, but he also knew that Lorelai was right; Anna needed to know that April was going to spend time with Lorelai. And she needed to be okay with it.

Not wanting to return to the diner, knowing that he would be met with requests and questions from the staff even though he'd taken the day off, Luke drove to the lake and sat down under a tree. He'd spent a lifetime here at this lake, everything from learning to fish with his dad to trudging after April, holding her rock collection as she'd searched for a special something or other.

Now, in the quiet summer afternoon, Luke flipped open his cell phone and dialed Anna, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

"Hi, Luke." Her voice had no emotion in it as she answered.

"Anna, hey," he said. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, I just came home for a bit before heading back over to check on my mom this evening," she said. "What's up? Is April okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine, I talked to her last night," Luke said. "She's really enjoying that camp."

"Seems like it," Anna said. "So what's going on?"

Luke cleared his throat. "Well, I wanted to let you know that Lorelai and I have been seeing each other again, working through some of the things that went wrong," he said.

"And?" Anna prompted impatiently.

"And," Luke continued, his patience growing thin. "She's going to be spending time with April."

"April has a mother."

"No one's disputing that," Luke replied. "Lorelai wants to be part of April's life, that's it. She's going to be around and she wants the three of us to at least be cordial, for April's sake."

"Luke, she's _our_ daughter," Anna insisted. "We don't need someone else complicating that."

"Look, this is a courtesy call more than anything," Luke said. "I know you're going through a rough time right now. I get it, I really do. Taking care of a sick parent is hard, and I'm sure you're missing April too right now. But you really don't have a right to tell me who I can spend time with."

"I do when it involves April."

"What is it that's bothering you?" Luke asked. "You don't even know Lorelai. If you guys talked, I bet you'd really like her."

"Of course I would," Anna muttered. "Because she's perfect."

"What?" Luke asked.

"Nothing," Anna said. "What do you want, Luke? My blessing? Sure. Be with her. Do whatever you want. But she's not going to be April's mother."

"She doesn't want to be!" Luke exclaimed. "Anna, she knows that April has a mom. A good mom. All she's asking for is to be there for April. To be able to talk to her and give her advice and be her friend. She wants to know her and look out for her. She refuses to even see her until she knows that you're okay with this."

Anna was silent for a moment. "We'll make all the big decisions?" she asked. "You and me?"

"Absolutely."

"I don't want her involved in any of the legal stuff."

"She won't be," Luke promised. "She knows that. She likes April, I think she'll come to love her. And in the long run, isn't it good for April to have someone else to talk to?"

"I suppose," Anna said. "I'm just scared, Luke. I'm out here all alone, my mom doesn't even recognize me, and I miss my daughter. Now there's this fun, exciting new woman in April's life and I just don't want to lose her too."

"You won't," Luke promised. "No one wants that. Especially Lorelai. She's a single mom too, she understands how important April is to you."

"I know," Anna sighed. "Look, I can't say I'm in love with the idea, but I'll try to come around to the idea. And when April's there in a couple weeks I guess we'll see how it goes."

"You're sure you're okay with it?" Luke asked. "Because we all just want what's best for April."

"Yeah, I'm okay with it," Anna said, and Luke could hear the sincerity in her voice. "Just promise me again that you and I will have final say in things?"

"Deal," Luke said. He cleared his throat as he picked at the grass beneath him. "Look, I know we're…well, our situation is strange. But I really did care for you and we have a kid, so if you need to talk, I'll listen. I know what you're going through."

"Thanks, Luke," Anna said.

"Okay, well, take care," Luke said.

"You too," Anna said. "Let me know when you pick April up?"

"Of course," he nodded. "Bye, Anna."

He hung up the phone and leaned his head back against the tree, processing his conversation with Anna. She'd been argumentative as usual, but she genuinely seemed to be warming to the idea of Lorelai. He doubted whether she'd ever be entirely okay with the idea, but as long as April was happy, she'd be okay with it.

Taking a deep breath to collect his emotions, Luke pushed himself off the ground and headed towards his truck, intent on finding Lorelai and easing her mind.

Michel was standing at the front desk when he walked in. "Oh, it's just you," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Your girlfriend is unpleasant again, I assume she's angry with you. Perhaps you should buy some new shirts."

Luke ignored Michel's thinly veiled insults and asked, "Do you know where Lorelai is?"

"Probably in the kitchen, not doing her job," Michel responded, his attention already focused on the papers in front of him.

Luke pushed through the door to the kitchen, where Sookie was yelling orders and frantically stirring some eggs together. "Luke!" she exclaimed. "Lorelai said you were busy at the diner this afternoon.

"Uh, yeah, I managed to get away," he replied, noticing her absence in the room. "Do you know where she might be?"

"She's not out front?" Sookie asked. "Hey, don't strain that again, I already strained it! Go fold some napkins! Sorry," she turned to Luke. "Hey, maybe she's at the stables. Sometimes she likes to sit with the horses during her break."

"Okay, I'll check there," Luke said. "Thanks."

As he let himself out the back door he heard Sookie yell, "I know I didn't just see you add another teaspoon of sugar!"

The grounds of the Dragonfly were quiet and peaceful in contrast to the stifling kitchen, and Luke shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked towards the stables. Lorelai wasn't there, but Desdamona's stall was empty so he wondered if she'd gone in search of the horse who was known to escape the barn.

Luke made it about half a mile from the inn on the trail when he glanced to his left, seeing the missing horse galloping through a small field. Lorelai was perched on her back, her hair spilling out from underneath her helmet. Luke watched her for a moment as she expertly pulled the horse down to a trot, reaching down to stroke her mane. Even from a distance, he could see Lorelai's unique beauty. Her jeans were stretched tightly against her long legs, and her white summer blouse shoved off her tanned arms, which gripped the reins. Luke felt a wave of pride wash over him at the fact that this beautiful woman was available for his touch, whenever he wanted it.

He raised a hand in a wave when Lorelai turned his way and began to walk towards her. Lorelai slowed Desdamona down to a stroll, then offered him a bright smile when they were in speaking distance. He could tell she was feeling better.

"Hi," she said, looking down at him. "Wow, I feel all powerful up here."

"Hi," he smiled, pressing a kiss to her denim clad knee, which rested slightly below his eye level. "I didn't know you could ride like that."

Lorelai shrugged. "Every child of society has to learn how to ride," she said. "My mom had me on my first horse before my third birthday."

"I had no idea," Luke wondered how there was still so much he could learn about the woman before him. "You look beautiful. Free."

Lorelai smiled as she stroked Desdamona's mane. "It's freeing, being out here. So peaceful and tranquil."

"Do you and Rory ride together?" he asked.

Lorelai laughed. "No, I'm afraid any interest in horses Rory may have had died along with the pony who collapsed during her first ride," she informed him. "But it's okay, it's something I can enjoy on my own."

"Oh," Luke nodded, reaching his hand out to pat the horse's neck. "How often do you ride now?"

"When I have time," Lorelai said. "When I have a lot to think about. I've been out a lot over the past few months."

Luke nodded, then looked up at her. "Got a few minutes to come down and talk?" he asked.

He saw nerves appear in her eyes, but she nodded. "Sure." He took a step back and watched, fascinated, as she expertly swung her left leg over the horse's back and hopped down. She took the reins and led Desdamona to a tree, tying her there before unsnapping her helmet and resting it on the ground beside the horse. After shaking out her hair, she turned to Luke and offered him her hand.

He gladly took it and followed her lead as she led them towards the pond a bit further down the path. They were both quiet for a moment before she said, "I'm sorry I was cranky earlier."

"Hey, it's okay," he said, squeezing her hand. "Look who you're talking to."

"Well, that was quite the role reversal we had back there I guess," she said. "You were trying to be positive and supportive and I totally closed up. I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it." They reached the edge of the pond and she sat down on a small bench, pulling him to sit down beside her. "I talked to Anna," he murmured.

Lorelai nodded, her gaze fixed somewhere across the pond. "And?" she asked.

"She's okay with April being around you, us," Luke assured her. "Really."

"What did she say exactly?"

"Well, she was concerned at first because she wanted to make sure that she and I are still making all the big decisions," Luke started. "And when I told her you understood and respected that, she seemed relieved. So I went on to tell her that all you really want is to be there as an extra support system for April, that you want her to be happy and healthy, just like Anna and I do."

Lorelai nodded, her gaze still fixed on a spot in the distance. "So where do we stand?" she asked. "I mean, do I have to run things by her when I want to do something with April? Do we need you there as a chaperone? Am I allowed to touch you in front of April, or is that going to get back to her?"

Luke frowned. "Where's that coming from?" he asked.

"It always bugged me that she didn't want April spending time around me because we weren't married," she said. "I mean, not that I'm one to judge, but she had a kid without being married to. It's not like we would ignore April or sleep together when she's in the apartment. I just don't get why that was a big deal."

"Okay, I'm going to say something, and I need to you listen without biting my head off," Luke said.

She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly but didn't say anything.

"What Anna's going through right now, with her mom, it's really hard," Luke said. "I'm not defending her, I'm not saying she had any right to treat you like she did. It was wrong of her, and she knows that. But taking care of her mom, who's so sick and doesn't even know who she is anymore is stressful and emotional. She's probably not thinking as rationally as she normally would. I know when my dad was sick I took it out on the people around me. That's probably part of the reason Liz took Jess and left. So while I don't like how she's acted, I do think we should cut her a tiny bit of slack."

Lorelai didn't respond right away, but he knew her well enough to know that she was contemplating what he'd said. "I guess you're right," she said. "I can imagine it would be horrible, especially for someone who has a decent history with their parents." She turned to look at him, her eyes hopeful and uncertain. "So what now?"

"Now," Luke reached out to push a strand of hair behind her ear. "We can start our life together."

Happiness came across her face, but she didn't fully allow herself to give in. "Okay, before we really do this, I just want to make sure," she said, standing and beginning to pace in front of the bench. "Because I know I'm sure, and I promise I won't bring up the whole hiding a daughter and shutting me out thing every time we fight. And I think we're okay with Christopher now, and if Anna really is serious that she's okay with me being around, then there's nothing standing in our way, but I just want to be really, really sure that this is it, you and me, no turning back. Because I can't lose you again, Luke, so if you're not sure just tell me now so I have some sense of…what are you doing?" She frowned as he stepped in front of her, reaching for her waist and stilling her movements.

"Would you just stand still?" he asked, pulling her close and kissing her deeply.

Lorelai laughed through the kiss as her hands moved to wrap around his neck, kissing him back. After a moment, she pulled back, her eyes shining with tears. Unlike the past few months, though, these were tears of happiness. "All in?" she asked, her eyes searching his.

He squeezed her tightly. "All in," he confirmed before he kissed her again.

XXXXX

"Please, Luke," she whined later that night as he counted the change at the register in the diner. "Please, please, please, Luke."

"No."

"Just one more cup."

"No."

"Why not?" she asked, holding her cup out to him. "I'll even wash the cup myself. And the coffee machine. It will be like it never happened."

"Except it will be extremely noticeable when you're keeping me awake all night," he countered.

Lorelai leaned forward with raised eyebrows. "What's wrong with staying up all night?" she asked in a seductive whisper.

He slammed the register drawer closed and leaned his elbows on the counter, meeting her gaze evenly. "Not yet," he said.

Lorelai's jaw dropped. "What?" she asked. "Why not? I mean, maybe we still have some smaller things to talk about, but we got the big stuff out of the way. I want you."

"I want you too," he assured her. "But I want to take you to dinner, watch you get all flushed when you drink champagne, I want to flirt with you and hold your hand. Then we can come home."

"Wow, who knew you were such a romantic," Lorelai said, a small smile on her lips.

"I took you on a date last time," he frowned.

"Ah, yes, but if memory serves you made me drive to New Hampshire for a booty call before said date," Lorelai replied.

"I didn't _make_ you," Luke scoffed. "I just happened to be in that general vicinity, and mentioned if you also happened to be close by, we could…"

"Cut the phone foreplay and get down to it?" Lorelai asked with a smile.

Luke blushed and pushed himself off the counter. "Call me old fashioned, I'd like to take a girl to dinner before I have my way with her," he said.

"Well, as long as you're buying, I'll put out," Lorelai said. "So when is this dinner going to take place?"

He shrugged. "When are you free?"

"Well, seeing as I hired extra summer help for the Dragonfly and my boyfriend is refusing to sleep with me, I can arrange to be free pretty much any time."

"Tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Well, someone's in a hurry," Lorelai raised her eyebrows.

"Hey, just because I want to do it right doesn't mean I want to wait another week," Luke said.

"You're cute," Lorelai informed him. "Tomorrow works."

"I'm not cute."

"Yes you are," Lorelai said. "You, Luke Danes, are many things. Cute is one of them."

He sighed and hooked a finger around her empty coffee mug. "Let me put this in the dishwasher and give the kitchen one last look. Then we can go home."

Lorelai nodded and watched as he disappeared into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with a nod. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, sir!" Lorelai said. After he'd locked the diner and they were strolling through the town square, she looped her arm through his and said, "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been noticing something."

"What?"

"The closet has gotten quite full recently," Lorelai commented. "And I've also noticed that there has been an unusually large amount of fruits and vegetables in the fridge. It has also come to my attention that in the few times you've stayed at your apartment lately, you've had to call me to bring you stuff you left at the house."

"What are you asking?" Luke asked.

Lorelai stopped and tugged on his arm, forcing him to face her. "I think you moved in," she said.

"No, I…we would have talked about that," Luke said. "We're not…there."

"Aren't we?" Lorelai asked. "I mean, it's just been assumed that you'd stay over. All your stuff is there. We both know that we want it to happen eventually, but we were kind of dancing around the subject because we wanted to fight through those issues. But now that the water's under the bridge, I think we should talk about it."

"I…I don't know," Luke said honestly. "What about the girls?"

"What about them?" Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "Do you think it would be weird for April?"

"I want to talk to her about it," Luke said. "Is it okay with Rory?"

"I think she'll be fine with it," she said. "She was okay with Gigi living there, and April is way less intrusive, I would imagine."

"What happens if they're both here at the same time?" Luke asked.

"Well, we'll have to figure that out and think about it," Lorelai conceded. "But, Luke, just stop for a second. Do you want this? Stop thinking about logistics and floor plans and the girls and even me. Do _you_ want this?"

He paused for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, I think I do," he finally said.

Lorelai beamed. "Good," she said. They resumed walking for a moment before Lorelai said, "We should get some pictures of April to put up around the house."

He looked over gratefully at her. She really was trying. It was as if their multiple conversations about his daughter today had officially stripped all of her concerns about the situation. "We should," he nodded.

"I want her to feel at home," she said. "I know it's not her _home_ home, but she should feel welcome there."

"I don't think that would be a problem," Luke said. "You can make anyone feel welcome."

"I know, I just…have to prove myself against that stupid stepmother stereotype," she shrugged.

"You've been obsessing over that," Luke commented.

"Well, yeah, it's easy for you to say," Lorelai said. "How many fairy tales include an evil step _father?"_

"I don't think you'll have that problem, unless you've been perfecting your poison apple recipe," Luke said.

"Nope, I'm going to lure her in with poisoned Pop Tarts," Lorelai replied. "Apples aren't my thing, unless I'm pregnant."

"What?" Luke frowned.

"Pregnant, with child, passing the torch to a new generation," Lorelai explained. "I ate so many apples when I was pregnant with Rory. One time I gave a maid fifty bucks to let me sneak an entire bushel upstairs and tell my mother the grocery store was out of them."

"Apples, huh?" Luke asked. "I guess you'd know something was up when you started craving healthy food."

"That's true," she said. They continued their walk before she asked, "So Liz and TJ are trying for more kids?"

"God help us all."

"She's getting fertility treatments?"

"I don't know if they're treatments or some voodoo witch doctor rubbing some weird herbal potion on Liz's forehead," Luke replied. "Why?"

"Just curious," Lorelai said. "She's not much older than me, you know."

"I know," he looked at her curiously.

"Do you think we would have had a kid by now?" Lorelai whispered. "If we'd talked or I hadn't…if June 3rd had happened?"

"I thought we weren't going to play the what if game," he murmured.

"I know," she sighed. "Sometimes I just can't help it. I would have wanted to be."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Yeah," she confirmed. She bumped her hip against his. "You could have knocked me up on our wedding night as far as I was concerned.

"Lorelai…"

"Sorry," she said. "I know you don't want to think about what could have been, but I just can't help it. Especially hearing that Liz has to get fertility treatments. Or whatever she's doing. I guess I'm just kind of wondering if I'm going to be on both ends of that pregnancy age bell curve. If it's even in the cards for us at all."

"Lorelai…"

"I know, we finally decided to put the past behind us and I go from zero to sixty, it's completely insane. And really, do we want three kids in three different generations? It would probably not be the most responsible thing in the world, but hey, neither of our kids were exactly planned, so who are we to talk about resonsibil…"

She was cut off when Luke pressed his lips tightly against hers, holding her close.

"What the hell was that?" she asked, pulling away.

"That was me trying to shut you up," Luke said. "We've made enough insights for one day. We'll talk about the rest another time. Soon," he added when he saw Lorelai open her mouth to argue.

"Fine," she muttered. They started to walk again, and she muttered, "You can't just kiss me whenever you want me to stop talking."

"I'd never get enough oxygen," he replied. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers, then said, "We'll get our plants."

The conversation they'd had when she was half asleep the night of their engagement came back to her and she smiled slightly. Plants were definitely not what Luke had in mind during either conversation. "I think I want at least one plant," she said.

"Maybe two," Luke nodded.

"We need to make room for two plants."

As they approached her house- _their_ house-Luke squeezed her close to him. "We've got time, Gilmore," he promised.

Lorelai turned to smile up at him, her own arms wrapping around his stomach. "We do," she replied. "Let's not waste it."


	5. Chapter 5

**I am completely loving all the positive reviews for this story! Thank you so much to everyone who is reading. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and writing it is taking away _some_ of the anxiety of waiting until November. **

**Just an FYI: This chapter has some steamy, emotional, probably unrealistic sex in it. But hey, they deserve it at this point.**

 **There's still a lot left to tell in this story, so I hope you're still along for the ride!**

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"This is ridiculous," Lorelai muttered as she stood in front of her mirror, examining her reflection. She'd bought a new dress for tonight, crimson red and tight, with thin straps covering her shoulders. Her hair was curled around her shoulders, the way she knew Luke liked it best, and her favorite black strappy heels were already on her feet. She'd perfectly applied her blush rose lipstick, but she couldn't shake the nerves running through her body.

"It's just Luke," she muttered. "You've done this a thousand times with Luke."

Somehow, knowing that they'd fully committed to their relationship without any exceptions put more pressure on this. They weren't engaged again, but tonight was about celebrating their accomplishments in fixing everything that had gone wrong. She was more than happy to wait for him to propose this time. As long as he didn't take too long.

Lorelai turned to look at the clock, smiling slightly as she noticed that it was already 7:15. Luke knew better than to arrive when he'd said he would. In fact, knowing Luke, he'd probably told her to be ready half an hour _before_ he actually wanted to leave.

She reached for her purse and did one last sweep around her room. The candles were scattered about, ready to be lit, her laundry had been shoved into the hamper, and the bed was neatly made. Everything would be in place for the second part of the evening, which, if she was honest with herself, was what she was most excited about.

She walked down the stairs and checked Paul Anka's food and water supply, then decided to wait for Luke on the porch.

Just as she was opening the door, she saw him pull up. A smile graced her lips as she saw him climb out. "I was just starting to wonder if you'd bailed," she informed him.

"I know better than to show up at seven," he laughed, stopping in front of her.

"I still don't get why you had to 'pick me up,'" Lorelai said. "You live here."

He smiled as he pulled her closer. "Letting my actions speak," he murmured.

She sighed happily as she kissed him. "Keep them talking," she requested.

From behind his back, Luke produced a bouquet of summer wildflowers and held it out in front of her. She smiled and took them, holding them up to her nose before she tilted her head to the side, looking up at him. "Am I still the only girl you've bought flowers for?" she asked teasingly.

"Well, I did buy April some sunflowers after the last swim meet I went to," he admitted with mock gravity.

Lorelai sighed dramatically. "I guess I can share you with her," she consented. "Let me bring these inside and then we can go."

Ten minutes later, Lorelai looked over at Luke from across the bench seat of the truck. "It's not weird this time," she commented.

"Hmm?" he asked, glancing at her before returning his attention to the road.

"Our first date, Luke picks Lorelai up, awkward conversation ensues, bit we had going," Lorelai explained. "We did well this time."

He reached for her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, not letting go once he'd lowered it. "We've come a long way," he said.

"Yeah, I guess we have," Lorelai said. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if I'd come to town more when I first moved here?" she asked. "If we'd met earlier or started dating earlier?"

"Honestly? I don't think we would have worked," Luke said.

"Really?" Lorelai asked, trying not to let herself feel hurt until she heard him explain his thoughts.

"No, you had Rory and you were working overnights at the inn," he said. "I was still getting my feet on the ground with the diner, and…I don't know, we were still pretty young back then. We needed that time."

"I guess we did," Lorelai said. "I never asked you why you finally decided it was the right time. To ask me to Liz's wedding."

"I guess I just realized that you were there, I wanted to spend more time with you, and I never got tired of being around you," he said, trying to get through this conversation without mentioning the book she'd mocked. "We were both single, Rory was on her own, the time just seemed right."

"Were you scared of Rory or something?" Lorelai asked, not accusingly, just curiously, as she studied him closely.

"What?" Luke asked.

"You keep saying it was best for Rory that we weren't together when she was growing up," Lorelai pointed out. "I'm just trying to figure out why."

"I wasn't scared of her, I just knew that you were all she had," Luke said. "That was before you started spending time with your parents, so they were still all but strangers to her. She needed you then. Not that she doesn't anymore, but she needed you differently then, I guess. I didn't want to ruin that."

"That makes sense," Lorelai said. "I guess that's why I had that no guys in the house rule until you came along."

"Lorelai," he said. "We're here now. We know where we want the future to go. The past is the past, and we're letting go of it. Let's enjoy tonight."

She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. "I can do that," she said. "But let's not let go of all of the past, okay? We have some pretty good memories too."

"That we do," Luke said, pulling the truck to a stop. He shut off the engine and opened his car door, but staying in place when he noticed that Lorelai had frozen as she stared out the windshield. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Do they hate me?" she whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"Buddy and Maisie," she waved a hand to Sniffy's. "Do they hate me for what I did to you? Because I can't go in there if they do."

"Oh, Lorelai, no," he said. "If anything they were upset with me. Maisie took it upon herself to tell me multiple times what an idiot I was for keeping April hidden."

Lorelai nodded and then put on her brave face. "Okay," she said.

He squeezed her hand, then moved to her side of the truck to help her down. "I am _not_ drinking champagne though," he informed her as they walked inside.

"Good luck with that," Lorelai said beneath her breath.

"Lorelai!" Maisie came breezing out of the kitchen, practically pushing Luke out of the way to embrace her. "Oh, sweetheart, it's so good to see you back here!"

"It's good to be back," Lorelai said as she returned the hug.

"Now, I kept telling Lucas how ridiculous his behavior was," Maisie continued, leading Lorelai to their usual booth. "I'm glad to see he's finally come around."

"Me too," Lorelai said.

"I'll have Theresa bring you some champagne," Maisie said. "No beer for you, Lucas, don't even bother trying."

"Yeah, Lucas," Lorelai added unnecessarily.

Luke rolled his eyes as he slid into the table and muttered something about 'bossy women.'

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Lorelai said, watching as their champagne was poured. When they each had a full glass, Luke tilted his towards her.

"To you."

"No," Lorelai shook her head. "To us."

He smiled and clinked his glass against hers before they each took a sip. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"The first time you brought me here," she said. "When it all started, _really_ started. I knew I wanted it, but when we came here and you could remember every single detail of how we'd first met, I just realized exactly how much it meant to you that we worked out. And now, here were are, against all odds, in the exact same position."

"That's one promise I don't mind you breaking," Luke informed her. "I'll keep giving you coffee if you don't go away."

"Deal," Lorelai said. She was quiet for a moment before she asked quietly, "What did you do with it?"

"With what?" Luke asked.

"The horoscope," Lorelai murmured.

Luke looked at her for a moment before he said, "I kept it."

"Luke," she sighed, shaking her head. "It's okay, I can take it."

Without a word, Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out his walled, reaching for the well worn piece of paper she'd scribbled on ten years ago. She smiled as she held the small piece of paper gingerly, tracing her finger over the words. "I didn't want to get rid of it, because no matter what had happened eventually, we had a wonderful friendship for years. And when we were together, it was really good at first. I didn't want to forget that it had happened, even if it did all go to hell eventually."

She smiled softly. "You're a great guy, Luke Danes," she said as she handed the horoscope back to him.

"I try," he shrugged, tucking the horoscope back into its rightful place in his wallet.

"I wish I remembered that day," she said.

"Well, judging by the sheer speed at which you moved, it's entirely possible that you were in and out of the diner before you even processed being there," Luke replied.

She smiled and took a sip of her champagne. "I guess I must have started taking Rory there, but the first thing I really remember is when we came in for hot chocolate before we went ice skating for the first time."

"She was nervous, and you were excited," Luke remembered. "You told her it was okay if she was a little excited too."

"And then you made the mistake of telling her you used to play hockey," Lorelai said. "She begged you to go until you said yes. She didn't let go of your hands the whole time. She trusted you."

"She let go eventually," Luke said. "She just needed time."

"And time can be good," Lorelai offered him a wide smile as she held her glass up to his. "Look what time brought us."

"It got us here," Luke replied, tapping her glass against his with a knowing smile.

XXXXXX

"Thank you, good sir," Lorelai smiled as Luke opened the passenger door of his truck and offered her his hand to help her step down. "And thanks for dinner."

He grinned at her as they climbed the porch steps. "My pleasure," he murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist as she reached to unlock the door.

"Luke," she breathed, pausing her motions as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck.

"Hmm," he sighed, using his nose to push her hair out of the way and then suck gently on the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

"I can't…oh…" she leaned back into his embrace, sighing in pleasure as he nibbled gently at her skin, then soothed it with his tongue. "Luke, inside…"

He pressed a final kiss to the spot and stepped back, allowing her to open the door. Her fingers shook as she reached for the lock, and the second they were inside, Luke had her in his arms again, kissing her passionately.

She slammed the door shut behind her, and she briefly flashed back to the time when he'd charged through her front door, kissing her with the same emotion he was now. They hadn't managed to talk or even make it upstairs that night, choosing to instead to pour their emotions into two rounds of intense make up sex on her living room floor. Now, things were different, and she gently reached out to rub his shoulder before she pulled back from his kiss.

"Meet me upstairs in ten minutes," she requested.

He was panting hard, and shook his head as he reached for her. "Please, Lorelai…" he said in a low voice.

"Ten minutes," she insisted.

He nodded and reached out to touch her cheek. "At least leave the dress on? I've been thinking about taking it off of you all night."

"Make it five then," she said. She ran into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of champagne and two glasses, and then scurried past him up the stairs.

Five long minutes later, Luke appeared in the doorway and let out a breath as he saw Lorelai, standing in the middle of the candlelit bedroom, two glasses of champagne in her hands. Her heels had been kicked off, but her dress remained untouched, as promised. She was smiling more brightly than he'd ever seen her smile, and he instantly felt drawn to her. Stepping inside and accepting her glass of champagne, he offered her a genuine smile of his own. He pulled her close with his free hand and she smiled slightly.

"To you," Lorelai whispered, holding the glass up.

"To you," Luke clinked his glass against hers.

"To us," she said, her eyes searching his.

"To our future," he replied.

Lorelai reached for his free hand with her own and held up her glass again. "To our girls," she said, her gaze locked on his.

Her choice of pronouns made him nearly choke on emotion. "To our girls," he repeated, loving the way it sounded.

Lorelai took a sip of her champagne and then searched his gaze carefully. "I missed you so much," she admitted.

"Oh, Lorelai," he breathed. "So much."

She set their glasses on the dresser and then stepped towards him, pressing her body tightly against his. "Forever," she whispered, pressing her lips up to his, her kiss filled with emotion and desire.

"Forever," he breathed against her lips.

As they kissed, they slowly began to shed their clothing. Luke's hands moved to the zipper on Lorelai's dress, and he took his time pulling it down, allowing his thumb to trail the seam along her spine. When he reached the small of her back, Lorelai abandoned her task of untucking Luke's sweater as anticipation swept over her body.

"Oh my god," she breathed, the simple touch of his finger on her spine sending chills throughout her body. "Luke…"

He watched as she tilted her head back, enjoying the sensation. Her long hair brushed along his forearm, and suddenly he felt himself want nothing more than to bring her complete and utter pleasure. Abandoning his own desires for the moment, he reached up to push the straps of her dress over her shoulders. His hands trailed down her arms as he gently peeled the dress from her body, revealing the red bra and underwear that she knew drove him crazy. As Luke's hands moved to her hips to push the material down her legs, her body began to shake and she reached desperately for a handful of his sweater.

She made quick work of the offending piece of clothing before she moved to his belt, tracing an affectionate finger over the worn black leather. It pleased her to know that he wore the things she took the time to buy for him. She quickly unbuttoned his pants, offering him a sly smile as she eased the zipper down.

While Luke kicked his pants aside, Lorelai moved to the bed, situating herself against the pillows and pulling Luke on top of her. He kissed her deeply, one hand lacing through her hair as the other smoothed up and down her side. They stayed in that position, enjoying the closeness of simply being together.

Finally, Lorelai gently pushed Luke forward and met his gaze, nodding her head the slightest bit. It was all he needed to pull her forward and unsnap her bra, tossing it quickly to the floor. Lorelai bit her lower lip as she watched him look at her closely, taking her in all over again. When he reached down to trace a single finger over the curve of her breast, she sighed and leaned back into the pillows, letting his touch send jolts of electricity across her skin.

Eventually, Luke worked his way down her stomach and ran his fingers over the red lace that covered the most sensitive part of her body. She bit her lower lip and watched as Luke traced the outline of her panties, his eyes growing darker as he took in the moisture soaking through the fabric. "Luke," she gasped, rocking her hips slightly. "Please."

He silently hooked his fingers over the band, his eyes meeting hers as he pulled the fabric away. Lorelai could feel his warm hands touching her legs on the way down and it was almost enough to make her lose control. "It's okay," he murmured, sensing her need for release.

She shook her head through her panting. "But you…"

"I'll be fine," he promised, dropping her panties on the floor and sitting back to admire her. She was trembling with anticipation, her eyes locked on his as a fine sheen of perspiration began to cover her body. He swallowed hard, then reached out to run his finger over her calf. "Let go."

"I…" Lorelai tried to fight the urge. He was barely touching her, and somehow she had never felt more sexy or beautiful than she did in that moment. "I don't…"

Luke reached up to gently stroke her thigh before he move his entire hand to smooth over her stomach. "Let go and you'll have me," he murmured.

His low voice, full of desire and need pushed her to the edge and she tilted her head back, arching her hips up with a soft moan. Luke trailed his hands over her body, unable to keep them to himself as she gave into her pleasure.

When she'd come down and could focus, she relaxed against the pillows and looked up at him, her breathing heavy. "Please, Luke," she whispered, reaching out to him.

He wasted no time in stripping out of his boxers and resting his body on top of hers. She held his face in her hands as she pulled him in for a deep kiss, loving the feeling of being completely surrounded by him. He pulled back and raised himself above her, his eyes locked on hers as he slowly eased himself into her.

She sighed in pleasure at the sensation, and he watched as her face began to flush. "Oh my _god,"_ she breathed when he was buried inside of her. He remained in place for a long moment, taking in every sensation of what it finally felt like to be with her in this way again.

"I missed you," he whispered against the skin of her neck.

"I'm so glad," she whispered. "That you're back here with me."

He lifted his head then and met her gaze. She nodded and arched her hips against his, and he began slowly rocking in and out of her. They were uncharacteristically quiet as they both basked in the sensation of being together. Lorelai's head fell back against the pillows as her body stretched beneath him, but neither of them felt any sense of urgency. Instead, they fulfilled an unspoken agreement to make this moment last as long as possible.

Eventually, though, Luke couldn't hold himself back any longer. As he reached down to gently stroke Lorelai at the spot where their bodies were connected, Lorelai's hands fell from his back to the sheets, breaking the silence with a loud moan. "Luke….oh, yes!"

He could feel her tightening around him and allowed himself to fall with her. He rocked into her one last time and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt Lorelai's body, warm and perfect, arching into his. With one last pleasured moan she relaxed beneath him and he collapsed on top of her, resting his head in her neck before he pressed a soft kiss to her skin and shifted them so she was nestled into his arms, their legs tangling together.

"Wow," Lorelai finally whispered into his shoulder.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll second that."

She reached for his hand, tracing her fingers over it lightly. "It's not just my imagination, right?" she asked. "It's better than it was before?"

"Maybe we're…I don't know, more aware of each other or something," he reached down to push a strand of sweat soaked hair off of her face. "We know what we have to lose."

She smiled and turned her head, pressing a kiss to his hand. She then pressed a series of kisses to his shoulder before she slid out of bed.

"Where are you going?" he frowned.

She returned to the bed with their champagne glasses and the half full bottle. "Sustenance for round two," she explained.

"I hate champagne."

"And yet you willingly drank quite a bit of it tonight," she said with an appreciative smile. "Any particular reason for that?"

"We were toasting things," Luke shrugged.

A mischievous smile appeared across her face. "That's how you want to play this, huh? Okay, well, here's to the greatest sex of our lives, which happened to occur mere minutes ago in this very spot."

"I'll drink double to that," he said, clinking his glass against hers.

She laughed and took a sip. "Let's make sure we don't lose this," she said. "This happy, back together, looking forward to everything bubble. I mean, sure, there are going to be fights and some times will be better than others, that's life. But I just…when we do fight, let's promise to remember this moment, right now, how perfect everything is."

"I will," he nodded. "We will."

"Good," she said with a happy sigh.

"Get over here," Luke said, opening his arm up to her. She obeyed, quickly sliding into her place beside him and tossing one leg over his. She took another sip of champagne, then used her free hand to trace over the hand that was resting on her stomach.

"We fit so well together," she murmured. "Not just…intimately, but even this. I always noticed how perfectly our hands fit together. You have nice hands."

He watched her closely as she looked down at her. "You just like them because they make you coffee," he teased.

She giggled, but shook her head. "No, I like them because they're strong, but can still be so gentle. I think your hands are my favorite part of you. Or, well, second favorite," she added with a smirk.

Luke took a sip of champagne and then turned to set his glass on the night table, doing the same with hers before he leaned in to kiss her deeply. "Your eyes," he said. "They always tell me what you're feeling."

"Oh yeah?" Lorelai asked, meeting his gaze. "What am I feeling right now?"

"Like…I should kiss you again," he murmured as he kissed her, leaning her back against the pillows.

"Hmmm, okay."

He pressed her into the mattress, his kisses becoming more intense as he brought a hand between her legs, feeling that she was already ready to take him again. "Lorelai," he said, his voice gruff with need.

"Please," she said, nodding desperately. "I _need_ you, Luke."

The desire in her voice matched his own, and he effortlessly shifted to slide into her. She threw her head back with pleasure at the sensation and moaned his name loudly. "Keep saying my name," he urged her as he began to stroke in and out of her.

"Luke," she gasped, her leg wrapping around his waist. "Oh my god, Luke…" Her cries of pleasure urged him to move faster and he thrust quickly into her, taking in every sensation as she writhed beneath him. "Luke, yes, Luke, please…"

His name escaping from her lips as she began to peak sent him over the edge and he gripped her hips tightly as he felt himself spill into her. Her response was to cry out in a mix between a moan and a scream, and he couldn't help feeling a sense of smug, manly pride that he was the one who was able to take her to such heights of pleasure.

As he slid off of her to rest his head against his own pillow, Lorelai turned to look at him with a smile on her face. "You're really not messing around with this whole make up sex thing, are you?" she asked.

"Sorry," he said, turning on his side to face her. "I know that was a little more intense that time around."

"Don't apologize," Lorelai said, turning onto her own side. "As soon as my strength returns, I'll repay the favor. Don't expect much sleep tonight, Cool Hand, I've got big plans for us. Think you can handle it?"

"I think I'm okay with that."

XXXXX

Lorelai felt herself slowly becoming aware of her surroundings as her she felt warm fingers running up and down her spine. She smiled slightly as she remembered the events of the night before, but kept her eyes closed, curious to see what Luke's next actions would be. He pressed a soft kiss to her bare shoulder and then ran his hand down her arm and she felt him leaning over her and tried to suppress the happy smile that was threatening to appear on her lips, wanting to pretend she was asleep for a bit longer.

"I know you're awake, beautiful girl."

She couldn't help but beam at his compliment, and she turned over to look at him. He was smiling back at her, but she couldn't resist a little early morning teasing. "Beautiful, hmm? Are you sure you're not just sweet talking me to get me into bed?"

"Too late for that," he laughed. "And I'm going to be better about complimenting you. It's part of me making sure we work this time."

"I could get on board with that," Lorelai said. "Although right now I don't feel very beautiful, sex hair and no make up."

"Trust me, it's a good look for you," Luke promised. "Breakfast?"

For the first time, Lorelai noticed the food sitting on the dresser and raised her eyebrows. "Breakfast in bed?" she asked. "Why, Luke Danes, are you trying to seduce me? Trying to recreate last night?"

"Nope, just trying to make getting you out of bed easier," Luke said. "This way, you're fed and caffeinated before you have to set foot on the ground."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes as she sat up and took the offered cup of coffee. "You want to get me _out_ of bed?" she asked. "Hon, do I to remind you want happened in this bed last night? Oh, unless you want me to get into the shower, because that would be so hot."

He patted her leg but shook his head. "Another time. I have plans for today."

"Plans?" she asked. "I thought we were spending the day together."

"Plans for both of us," he explained, handing her a plate of eggs and bacon. "Eat up."

"What do these plans entail exactly?" Lorelai asked.

"Surprise."

She pouted slightly. "How about a hint?" she asked.

He thought for a moment before he said, "We'll be alone."

"I like that. What else?"

Luke shook his head as he stood and reached into the closet, pulling out a shopping bag. "You do realize how much work you are, don't you?" he asked.

"Oh, present!" Lorelai exclaimed, setting her mug down and reaching for it. "Give me! I love random presents!"

Luke tossed the bag to her. "You'll wear this," he said.

"New clothes, my favorite!" she said, a happy smile on her face as she opened the bag. "Oh my god, you bought me a bathing suit?" She pulled out a black bikini, trimmed with turquoise on the sides. "I so wish I could have seen you making this purchase."

"It was no big deal," he said. "Kirk helped me."

Lorelai froze and turned to stare at him. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"Nope, he was very impressed when he learned your bra size. He asked if I thought you could give Lulu tips."

"Lucas, if you are telling the truth you will never see me in this or _anything_ like it ever again," she warned.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I'm kidding," he said.

Lorelai groaned as she threw the bikini top at him. "You're mean," she informed him. "I can't believe you did that."

"Do you really think I'd discuss your bra size with Kirk, or anyone else for that matter?" he asked.

"You better not," she muttered. "I'm not sure if I want to go anywhere with you after that stunt."

"I'm sorry," he said, holding the bikini top out to her.

"What's in it for me?" she asked.

"Coffee."

She held up her mug and rolled her eyes. "Not good enough," she told him.

"What if I tell you where we're going?"

Lorelai's expressed brightened. "I'm listening."

"Bridgeport."

"Bridgeport?" Lorelai scrunched her nose. "What's in…oh! Your boat!"

"Smart as well as pretty."

"Wow, you're just letting those compliments flow, I like it."

"Let's go so we can spend more time on the water," he said, pushing her covers off of her. "It takes a bit to get there."

"You're really taking me to your boat?" she called as she walked into the bathroom.

"I figured it was time," he said, moving towards the closet.

"I'm so excited," Lorelai said, appearing in the doorway. "How do I look?"

Luke turned to look at her, his jaw dropping at how perfectly the bathing suit had fit. He'd been doubtful as to whether he could trust his sister with this task, but she had clearly succeeded. Lorelai looked amazing.

"I'll take the drooling as a positive sign," she said, pulling a pair of shorts out of her dresser. "Snap out of it, Cool Hand, otherwise I won't trust you to drive the boat."

He cleared his throat and shook his head, staring down at the floor as his hands moved to his hips. "Wow."

"Impressed with yourself, are you?" she asked, pulling her hair out of the collar of her t-shirt. "Are we going overnight?"

"I thought we could," he said, now able to think clearly without the bikini distracting him. "Unless you don't want to."

"No, I want to," she said. "In the sound, right? So land's not far either way?"

"I do know what I'm doing," he informed her.

"Yeah, but you're so distracted by my youthful beauty that you were momentarily paralyzed a few minutes ago. You might run us into an iceberg."

"I think we're safe."

"That's what the captain of the Titanic said," Lorelai replied. "And probably Gilligan too, although I'd certainly prefer his situation."

"Make sure you pack a sweatshirt, it will get cold on the water."

"Got it," Lorelai nodded. "Oh! Look!"

Luke watched as she dug through her closet for a moment, and when she stood he rolled his eyes at the item she was holding out in front of her. "You are not bringing those."

"Why not?" she frowned.

"Because you'll look ridiculous."

"I need them!"

"No you don't."

"But, Luke, they're boat shoes!"

"No, they're boots and it's the middle of summer," he replied. "You'll get hot and then whine all day about how hot your feet are, and suddenly it will be _my_ fault that you wore them. Let's just skip that step and not bring the boots."

"Please, Luke!" she begged. "I won't complain, I promise!"

"No."

She frowned. "You're the one who insisted you buy them for me," she said.

"Funny, that's not how I remember it," he said. "I remember having to order them so you'd stop making out with a magazine in my restaurant."

"See if I'll ever make out with you again," she muttered under her breath.

Luke ignored her and held out a tube of sunscreen. "Bring a hat too," he told her.

"No hat, no shoes."

Luke rolled his eyes and zipped his bag. "Do whatever you want," he said. "And don't take too long."

Lorelai squealed and hugged the boots close to her. "Hear that boys, you're finally getting your sea legs!" she said to the yellow work boots.

Luke passed her and muttered some thing about "a year and a half" and "too much money." Lorelai smiled as she watched him walk out of the room. As wonderful as it was to see Luke share more of himself with her and let her see his different sides, sometimes it was still nice to see the grumpy man she'd known for years make an appearance. And, of course, it was fun to push his buttons sometimes.

She stashed the boots in an overnight bag and collected some essential items before she bounded down the stairs to see Luke waiting with a thermos for her. "My favorite sight," she sighed, accepting the coffee.

"Did you bring sandals too?" he asked, eyeing her carefully.

"Yes, Captain Practical, I have sandals," Lorelai said. "I'm not completely insane."

"Well, that's debatable."

"I _so_ walked right into that."

"Okay, you have coffee, you have your insane boat shoes, I have sunscreen and food, we're good to go," Luke said, leading her to the door.

"Hey, do you have a captain's hat?" Lorelai asked.

"No." He tossed his bag in the back and then reached for hers.

"Can I call you Captain?"

"No." He opened the passenger door and gently shoved her inside.

"Am I your first mate?"

"No."

"How about co-captain?"

"No."

"Your whore?"

He glared at her. "Don't call yourself that."

"What, every good pirate captain needs a whore to fulfill his needs."

"My needs are met just fine."

"Fine," she sighed. "Hey, is your boat still nameless?"

"Yeah," he said. "Can't think of anything good."

Lorelai nodded solemnly. "Let me get to know her and we'll see what she thinks."

"Whatever you say."

Lorelai reached over to pat his leg. "You're learning well, hon," she informed him.

XXXXX

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip…"

Luke turned to stare at Lorelai as she cheerfully sang the theme song to Gilligan's Island from the passenger side of his truck an hour later. "You do realize how that boat trip ended, right?" he asked.

"Yes, and you know that it has been my lifelong goal to have my own television show," Lorelai replied. "I figure this is my perfect opportunity."

"We're not going to get stranded on an island."

"I don't think that was their intention either."

"It was a TV show."

"Exactly!" Lorelai said. "Think about it, when we get stranded, I'll be in charge of creating make up out of the indigenous island plants and you can be in charge of making the coconut phone."

He shook his head as he pulled off the highway. "You're talking even more than usual today," he observed. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "I'm just having a little PTSD flashback here."

"What?" Luke frowned, glancing over at her. "What are you talking about?"

Lorelai shifted in her seat. "I had to pick Rory up in jail in Bridgeport," she reminded him gently.

"Oh," he said. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking…"

"No, it's not your fault at all," she said. "I can't avoid the place forever. And this way I'll have good boat memories."

"I can't imagine how scary that was," Luke sympathized. "I've had to do it enough times for Liz, I can't imagine doing it as a parent."

"Well, hopefully April won't take after Rory in that particular regard," Lorelai said.

Luke frowned. "I still don't like that Logan kid," he stated.

"Well, he's history now, so you can channel that anger towards Taylor," Lorelai said. "Or save it up for when April starts dating."

"She's never going to date."

"Sure she's not."

"She's not even interested in boys."

"Of course not."

"She'd tell me."

"Uh huh."

He turned to look at her. "You know something," he accused.

"I know nothing," she said, holding up her hands innocently. "I just know that eventually it's going to happen."

"I'm not ready for that," he admitted.

"Me either, and my kid's been dating for years," Lorelai replied. "It's okay, I'll help you get through it."

"How did you get through it?" he asked.

"By raising a daughter so perfect and beautiful that the entire town looked out for her and warned all the boys in town not to hurt her," Lorelai replied. "Don't you remember fighting Dean in the street?"

"He wasn't good enough for her either."

"Uh huh, and Jess was?" Lorelai asked.

"No, I told him to stay away too."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Luke shrugged. "I'm proud of who Jess has become, but back then he had a lot of issues. He broke Rory's heart, and I don't really think he meant to. But I told him to stay away so she wouldn't have to relive all that."

Lorelai smiled softly at him. "I think April will be fine," she said softly. "I hated seeing Rory hurt, but we both know that we have to have a little heartbreak before we can really understand happiness."

"Well, she's not going on a date until she's done with college, so it's not a problem for now," Luke declared.

"Sure, Butch."

He pulled into the marina's parking lot and turned to look at her. "Go use the bathroom," he told her.

"What?" she asked.

"Last chance before you have to use the one on the boat," he explained.

Lorelai's eyes widened and he shook his head as she headed towards the public restrooms. He gathered their bags and coolers together in the back of the truck, handing Lorelai her bag when she returned to him. "Ready?"

"Yes," she said, reaching for one of the coolers. "Hey, is that your boat?"

"No."

"How about that one?"

"No."

She took a few steps before she pointed to another boat. "Is that your boat?"

"No."

"Well, I know it's not _that_ one," she said, pointing to a long, sleek boat at the far end of the dock, far larger than what she had been expecting.

"It is."

"What?" she stopped in her tracks. "That's your boat?"

"Yeah," he said, tossing his bag on board and then climbing aboard himself.

"Are you sure, or am I going to have to call Rory to bail me out of jail for boat theft in some sort of reverse time warp?" Lorelai asked, her feet planted firmly on the dock.

"Lorelai, it's my boat," he laughed. "Let me help you up."

"Hang on," she said, stepping back. Luke was standing near the wheel, and a small table and sitting area sat behind him. Ahead of him was a long deck with padded benches, and there were a couple steps to an inside area. "It's like the other one finally hit puberty."

He shook his head and held his hands out to her. "I'm going to leave without you."

"You will not."

Luke shrugged and reached for the ropes holding the boat to the dock, causing Lorelai to scramble towards him. "Okay, I give, don't leave me," she begged. She handed him her bags and then took his outstretched hands. She stepped on the edge of the boat and allowed him to pull her on board, leaving one hand in his as she took in her surroundings. "Wow, it's a real boat," she murmured, taking in the navigational tools and equipment.

"It is," Luke confirmed.

Lorelai examined the benches that lined the side of the boat before she turned to the stairs. "Your cabin, my captain?"

He nodded and walked down ahead of her. "Watch your head."

She followed him, taking in the small kitchenette to the right and a booth table to the left. "That turns into a sleeping area if necessary." He led her to a small door to the left. "Sleeping area." Lorelai smiled as she took in the tiny room with a double bed and not a lot of room for much else. "And here's the bathroom."

"The head," Lorelai corrected. "What, I know things!" she added at Luke's impressed expression. She peeked around him and nodded at the toilet, small sink, and tiny shower stall. "It's a real toilet."

"What were you expecting?" he asked as they walked back towards the deck.

"I don't know, a hole in the floor with fish swimming underneath?" Lorelai suggested, earning her an eye roll.

"Okay, I'm going to get us out of the marina. Can you help with the ropes?" he asked. "It's not hard."

"Sure, just show me what to do."

Ten minutes later they were cruising through Long Island Sound, picking up speed as they left the marina behind them. Lorelai smiled softly as she watched Luke through her sunglasses as he stood behind the wheel, taking in how much more relaxed he seemed. He'd exchanged his usual outfit for a short sleeved button down and a pair of khaki shorts-which she had been sure to mock him for four times already-and seemed more free somehow. He was wearing sunglasses to ward off the bright summer sun, and she could almost see what he would have looked like twenty years ago.

With a smile, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "Hi," she whispered in his ear.

"Hey," he said, turning his head to where her chin was resting on his shoulder. "You doing okay?"

"More than okay," she said. "I love it out here."

"Good," he rubbed her arm gently.

She remained silent for a moment, enjoying the peaceful feeling of being entirely alone with Luke out on the water. "Hey, can you put that on autopilot or something?" she asked, pushing her hair out of her face.

"In a bit, I want to get out of the more congested area first," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai said, letting go of him and taking a step back.

"Where are you going?" he frowned.

Lorelai tilted her sunglasses down and peered at him over the top of the frames. "Distracting you," she replied. She then tugged her shirt over her head and slid off her shorts, sliding past him towards the back, clad only in her bikini. "And working on my tan."

Smiling, Luke shook his head softly and continued to maneuver the boat out of marina traffic. When they were a safe distance from other boats, Luke turned off the engine and allowed the boat to float gently before he turned to Lorelai.

She was stretched out on the back bench, her body long and lean in the perfect bathing suit. Her eyes were closed, her face tilted to the sun, sunglasses off and hands at her sides. As he stared at her, he couldn't believe his incredible luck that not only had he found this woman, but that she had fought hell and high water to become his.

"Like what you see, Captain?" she didn't turn to look at him or even open her eyes, but he knew she could feel his gaze. She always could.

"It's a beautiful view," he agreed, stepping closer.

She smiled, but still didn't change positions.

He nudged her feet with his knee. "Got room for me there?"

"No way, too comfortable," she replied.

Smirking, Luke changed position so he was standing directly over her. She propped herself up on her elbows and squinted up at him. "You're blocking my sun."

"Are you going to make room?"

Lorelai sighed dramatically and sat up, gesturing to the bench. The second he'd sat down, Lorelai's head was resting in his lap and her face was again tilted toward the sun.

"Tell me you at least put sunscreen on," he requested, his hand running over her windblown hair as it spread out over his legs.

"Yes, I have no desire for my skin to ever get wrinkly," Lorelai replied. "Just enjoying the feeling."

"It's nice," Luke agreed.

"Have you come out here a lot?" she asked.

"Last summer, yeah," Luke said. "I needed it."

"And this summer?"

He brushed a hand over her forehead. "I have better things to do."

Her smile widened, but she said, "I still want you to do the things you like."

"I'm doing it."

"Seriously, Luke," she said. "I know we've been here before, but I want you to do your things. And I'll work harder to try the things you like."

"Yeah, it seems like you're having a really rough time with that at the moment."

She laughed, but she reached to take his free hand and lace their fingers together. "Thanks for bringing me here," she said.

"You're the only girl I've ever brought on a boat," he promised.

"Good, because I am the queen of your world."

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. "Someday we'll let the princesses come aboard," he said.

"Your princess definitely," Lorelai said. "Mine may take some convincing. And by some, I mean if given the choice between riding a horse or getting on a boat, she'd probably choose the horse."

"We'll work on her," Luke promised.

Lorelai didn't comment, and they both remained silent for a few minutes. "This is the definition of heaven," Lorelai finally murmured. "You should have done this years ago."

"It's because of you, you know," he told her. "When you bought the other boat and put it in your garage, that's when I realized how I should start working on it. And that evolved into me buying this boat."

"I was just trying to help," Lorelai replied.

"And if you hadn't done that, we probably wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"Which would be a complete tragedy," Lorelai confirmed.

"It does feel pretty damn good," he admitted.

"I can see why you like it out here," she said. "It suits you."

"And you."

"You're just saying that because I'm in a bathing suit."

"No argument here."

"Hey Luke?"

"Hmmm?"

"Is there such thing as boating under the influence?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Because I'm currently thinking the only thing that could make this better is a margarita," Lorelai sighed.

"Can I offer you beer instead?"

"Maybe after lunch," she conceded. "God, I'm so relaxed."

"I'm glad, you deserve it."

"So do you," she murmured. "We've been through a lot."

"And we're better for it."

"We are," she said, pressing a kiss to his hand. "I like that I feel like your friend again. We're us, a better us, and the friendship that started it all hasn't disappeared."

"I like that too," he said. "Thanks for including me in the Rory stuff."

"Thanks for including me in the April stuff."

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Anything."

"Are you ready to get married?"

Lorelai was still for a moment before she sat up quickly, turning to face him with wide eyes. "What?"

"I'm not asking," he said quickly. "I mean, I'm not proposing. I just want to know…where we stand. I don't want to put pressure on it, so if you're not ready be honest. Or if you are, or if you don't want to answer, that's okay too."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "You want to ask this time?" she asked.

"You stole my thunder last time."

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Don't be, it was perfect," he said.

She nodded and pulled her sunglasses back down over her eyes. She glanced around at the coast for a moment before she said, "I'm going to be honest, but you have to promise you're not going to take it the wrong way or throw me overboard or anything."

Luke felt a pit forming in his stomach, but he nodded. "I'll keep you dry and standing," he nodded.

Lorelai inhaled deeply. "Okay," she said, more to herself than to him. "I do want to marry you, Luke. And I love how far we've come over the past couple months, and I can see our future together really clearly. But I think our past, even though we've decided to forgive ourselves and each other, tells us that we have to really look at our lives, not just jump in, consequences be damned. And before I will truly be ready to marry you, I have to spend time with April. With you and without you. I need her to accept me."

"We've been over this, I thought we were past it," he said.

"We are," she nodded. "But Luke, I don't know her."

"Are you afraid you're not going to like her?" Luke asked, anger starting to build up inside of him.

"No, no, that's not it at all!" Lorelai said quickly. "But I can't agree to anything with you without knowing how _she_ feels about me. I have to know that this is going to work. And work well."

"She does love you," Luke insisted.

"Luke, she loved the birthday party," Lorelai corrected. "And the three minute phone conversations we've had. We've never spent time together, not really. Try to think of it from my perspective. If you hadn't known Rory when she was growing up, and we'd started dating, but she was at Yale and you'd never had a chance to talk to her. Would you be happy agreeing to marry me if you didn't know her?"

Luke sighed, defeated. "No, I guess not," he said.

"Please understand, it's not a no," she said.

"I didn't ask anything."

"I mean, it's not a no, I'll never be ready for you to ask," Lorelai said. "It's a someday, when I know April and she knows me, we can revisit the idea. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed.

"I still love you," she offered.

He offered her a sad side smile. "I love you too."

"Please don't let this ruin the day," Lorelai said. "After last night and this morning, it's been so perfect. Please, let's just get back to the lying in the sun and talking about happy things. Tools, boats, burgers."

Luke cracked a smile. "Do you think those are my only topics of conversation?" he asked in amusement.

"Well, we could discuss the Breakfast Club and how Molly Ringwald totally should have gotten an Oscar, but I don't think you'd be up for that."

"Definitely not."

"Or we could talk about…how Rory's going to have another article published this week. Her second solo one."

A proud smile came across Luke's face. "I'm glad, they're good articles," he said.

"They are," she said. "She must have had an excellent upbringing."

"I know for a fact that she did," he said, resting his hand on her knee in a silent move of forgiveness.

Lorelai smiled as she leaned in to kiss him, then pulled back. "Ugh, I could totally go for some red vines right now," she said. "We should have stopped at the store."

Luke offered her a smirk, then stood. He reached for a brown paper bag from Doose's and silently handed it to her. Curiously, she opened it and laughed when she saw Pop Tarts, instant coffee, and red vines looking up at her.

"It's been ten years, Lorelai," he said. "Do you really think I'd bring you out on the ocean without a healthy supply of junk food and coffee?"

"You are a smart man," she informed him. "And my favorite man in the world!"

Luke sighed as he dropped onto the bench beside her. "How do you feel about the top five?" he asked, pretending to think critically.

Lorelai gasped in pretend horror. "I'm number five?" she asked. "I mean, I get those two little brats we call daughters, maybe, _maybe_ being tied for number one, but I should remain a very close second. Almost indeterminable. And you're telling me I'm number _five?"_

"Well, there's Doula, who by the way, is starting to resemble my side of the family, thank god. I still can't believe TJ's DNA has been passed down."

"Lucky girl," Lorelai confirmed. "But she still shouldn't take my spot."

"And you don't tip as well as Patty and Babette," Luke continued.

"I am so telling them you said that," Lorelai said. "They'll definitely try to tip you more, and not with money, if you know what I mean."

"Aw, jeez."

Lorelai bit the end off a red vine. "Who's your favorite girl?" she asked. "Think carefully, or I'll call Patty right now and tell her you want more tips. And you know she just broke up with Fernando again, so she's extra man hungry."

Luke sighed as he looked at her, perched on her knees beside him. Her sunglasses hid her eyes, but he knew she was happy. And that was all he needed in that moment.

"How about tied for first?" he asked.

"With who, Gypsy?" Lorelai scoffed. "No thanks."

"No, with a budding scientist and a brilliant journalist."

Lorelai sighed dramatically. "I guess I'd be okay with that," she said. "But I'm the captain of Team Luke."

"Noted."

"And you know…since I'm the captain of Team Luke and you're the captain of this unnamed vessel, we might be able to find some fun foreplay out of it."

"Later," Luke promised. "For now, let's enjoy the sun."

Lorelai sighed happily as she resumed her position lying on her back, her head resting on Luke's lap. "I really am happy," she told him.

"Good," he murmured, leaning back against the seat.

"Are you?"

He smiled as he looked at her, stretched out before him, and nodded. "Happier than I've ever been," he confirmed.

XXXXX

"Let's quit our jobs and live on the boat," Lorelai suggested sleepily later that night.

"Okay," Luke agreed, pulling the blankets up over them as they lay together in the small bed.

She sighed contentedly and snuggled closer into his embrace. "The rocking of the boat is putting me to sleep," she admitted.

"It's also the middle of the night."

"That too," she whispered. "Thanks for bringing me out here, Luke. I love it. A lot more than I thought I would."

"I'm glad," he replied.

"We should do it all the time."

"I'd be okay with that."

"You haven't been spending as much time at the diner," she observed.

"Yeah, I delegated some of the management work to Cesar, gave him a nice raise to go with it," Luke said. "He deserves it. And now I have more time for you, and April, when she's here."

"I like having more time with you," she murmured.

"Back at you."

"It's working well, isn't it?"

"I think so."

"Better than last time?"

"At the time I didn't think it was possible, but yes. So much better than last time."

"Good," she said, pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I'm getting sleepy."

"Go to sleep, Lorelai."

She snuggled further into his arms and he smiled softly, looking down at her as her breathing started to even out. It wasn't often that she fell asleep before he did, and he found himself enjoying the feel of her body relaxing against his, her breaths soft against his chest. She was beautiful all the time, but when she slept she seemed more innocent and vulnerable, and he loved seeing her like this. He brushed some hair out of her face and ran his thumb over her cheek.

"I hope you're ready soon," he murmured before he settled back against the pillows, submitting to sleep himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Luke tossed a pile of dirty dishes into the bucket as he reached for the ringing phone, tucking it under his ear with a hurried, "Luke's."

"How much for a lap dance?"

"Geez, Lorelai, I'm working."

She giggled into her cell phone as she pulled her car onto the highway. "It's almost too easy to annoy you," she informed him.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Almost to Abby's," Lorelai replied. "Just wanted to check in, see how your day is going."

"It's fine," he replied. "Are you sure it's okay I couldn't make it this week?"

"Totally fine," Lorelai said. "Cesar's sick, we're in a good place, it's not necessary for you to be here. I have plenty of my own crap to hash out with Abby that has nothing to do with you."

"Like what?" he asked.

"You're kidding, right?" Lorelai asked. "Remember Emily Gilmore? Wears suits, yells at everyone she looks at, is consistently disappointed by my mere existence?"

"Ah, you're getting to that now," he said.

"Yes, it might be good to figure out everything that's wrong with me while I'm at it," Lorelai shrugged.

"There's nothing wrong with you."

"We both know that's not true, but I like that you're trying," Lorelai replied. "Alright, I'm here. I'll be in for dinner later."

"Good luck," Luke said.

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said before she flipped her phone closed and tossed it into her purse.

She made her way to Abby's office and settled in, feeling strangely nervous without Luke's presence beside her. Although she'd been the one to initiate the counseling and had gone for months before she'd even realized she could have another chance with Luke, he'd become part of these sessions. Now, without him for the first time in weeks, she realized that she'd leaned on his support more than she'd realized.

"No Luke today?" Abby asked.

"No, there was a scheduling conflict at the diner," Lorelai replied. "He couldn't get away."

"That's okay, it seems like things are going really well with you two," Abby commented.

"Yeah, they are," Lorelai said, she toyed with her bracelet for a moment before she commented, "We, uh, slept together for the first time since everything. I was a little nervous after both of us being with other people, but it was…amazing."

Abby nodded, not commenting on that particular topic.

"Don't tell Luke I told you that, he'd be embarrassed," Lorelai tried to backtrack.

"It's all confidential in here, you know that," Abby said.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "Um, since Luke's not here, I kind of wanted to talk to you about my one big concern looming over our relationship. I know I need to bring it up with him, but I'm not sure how."

"Okay, let's figure it out," Abby said. "What are you thinking?"

"My parents," Lorelai sighed. "They've been great recently, I don't know if we're all missing Rory and bonding over that or what, but Friday Night Dinners have almost been…enjoyable. And even before Luke and I broke up, they were supportive of the marriage. They wanted to buy us a house and everything."

"It sounds like they're trying," Abby said.

"I think they are," Lorelai agreed. "But I'm just worried because my mom has butted in before and ruined things. And after what happened last year, they saw me more hurt than I've ever been. They are protective, I'll give them that, and they're not very forgiving."

"You're worried that they're not going to be as willing to give Luke another chance?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "And I just don't know how to tell them. Things have been going so well with him, we're back and better than ever. Then on the Gilmore front, I'm actually having a relationship with them, and almost enjoying it, like I would imagine a normal family would be like. I know I tried to keep things separate in the past, for Luke's sake, but I feel like I'm hiding something."

"Aren't you?" Abby asked. "If things are as great with your parents as they sound, shouldn't you be able to share something like that with them?"

"I want to," Lorelai admitted. "It's the first time in my life I actually feel bad keeping something a secret from them. Because Luke and I are together for good now. I just don't want them to ruin that."

"You said they were supportive of the marriage."

"But with my parents, it's like everything has to be off setting," she said. "When things were great with Luke, they were trying to break us up. But then when things went to hell with Luke, they were finally on board. I'm scared that if I tell them how wonderful things are, they'll try to throw it off track again."

"Lorelai, you've grown a lot since we've started talking," Abby said. "So has Luke, both as a couple and individuals."

"I think so too," Lorelai agreed.

"And you're both adults, solid in your routines and who you are as individuals," Abby continued.

"So?" Lorelai asked.

"Don't you think your parents might have grown as well?" Abby suggested gently. "Maybe after so many years of meddling and fighting, they've finally realized that you can make your own choices?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Maybe, after so many years," she said. "They're just so stubborn, I honestly don't know if they'll ever really change."

"And you said you haven't talked to Luke about these concerns?" Abby asked.

"No," Lorelai said. "Not because I don't want to or I'm trying to keep secrets, but my parents have always kind of been a sore spot between us. He doesn't like them, and I don't blame him. They treated him horribly, and said publicly that he's not good enough for me."

"No offense, Lorelai, but you did some pretty bad things to Luke too," Abby said gently. "Just like he did to you."

"I know."

"The two of you found a way to work through it and forgive each other," Abby said. "Maybe he'll be able to do that for your parents."

"That's true," Lorelai mused. "I just hate submitting him to that world. As much as I don't fit in there and don't want to, I at least have the background. Like it or not, I was raised in that world and have been to more fundraisers for boring charities than I can count. I don't like it, but I know how to survive with those kinds of people. Luke was raised in Stars Hollow, by parents who were real and present. They raised him to be a good man, but they weren't concerned with all the insane rules of etiquette like I was. He's like a fish out of water at the few events I dragged him to."

"He might be willing to learn," Abby said gently.

Lorelai shook her head. "We've tried," she said. "And I just can't do that to him. He's not comfortable, and I hate seeing him looking so out of place."

"A lot has changed since then, though," Abby pointed out.

"I guess," Lorelai said. "I never thought he would have come here."

"I think you need to talk to him about this," she said softly. "And your parents."

Lorelai sighed. "What happens if it gets bad again?" she whispered.

"Well, something's going to go wrong eventually," Abby pointed out. "That's just life. I think you should take control of the situation before it takes control of you. Isn't that what has happened when you've ignored these things in the past?"

"No wonder they pay you the big bucks," Lorelai said with a small smile. "You're totally right."

"I know it's scary," Abby said. "But you know that sometimes it's better to face your fears than to ignore them and let everything fall apart."

Lorelai nodded. "You'd think I would have learned that the first hundred or so times," she said. "But I think I finally get it."

Abby offered her an encouraging smile. "You're strong, Lorelai, stronger than you give yourself credit for," she said. "But it's okay to be vulnerable sometimes. It's okay to want and need your parents' approval. This time I think you might be surprised by their actions."

"Thanks," Lorelai said. "I hope you're right."

"Why don't you go talk to them today?" Abby suggested.

"Do you think I should talk to Luke first?" Lorelai asked.

Abby shrugged. "If you want to," she said. "But they're your parents. Sure, it involves Luke, but I think you need to make peace with them about this. And honestly? It might be easier if it's just the three of you. Then you can bring Luke in without having to feel the need to protect him."

"I guess," Lorelai nodded. "Wow, I actually feel better about this."

"That means I'm doing my job," Abby said with a smile. "Anything else you want to talk about?"

"No, not really," Lorelai said. "Mind if we cut it short today? I want to talk to my parents while I still feel like I can."

"Absolutely," Abby said, rising with Lorelai. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Lorelai said with a deep breath before exiting the office.

An hour and one stop for coffee later, Lorelai leaned against her car, staring at her parents' house as she contemplated her next move. She knew she had to do this, Abby was right, but she couldn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach as she stared at the house she'd never really felt at home in.

With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and finished her coffee, tossing the cup into her car before she strode to the front door and rang the doorbell.

Her mother answered almost right away. "Hello, Lorelai," she said.

"Hi, Mom," Lorelai said, taken aback. "Were you waiting for someone?"

"I saw you pull up fifteen minutes ago," Emily replied. "I was wondering when you'd come in."

"Oh," Lorelai stared at the ground as she nodded. "Okay. Um, is Dad home? I want to talk to you guys about something."

"Come in," Emily said, holding the door open. "I'll get your father."

"Thanks," Lorelai said. She walked into the living room and sat down, offering her father a smile when he walked in with her mother. "Hi, Dad."

"Hello, Lorelai," he said with a nod of his head. "Were we expecting you?"

"No, I just thought I'd stop by," she said, watching as her parents sat down on the sofa across from her. She cleared her throat and pushed her hair behind her ears before she folded her hands in her lap and scooted forward. "I um, I wanted to tell you that Luke and I are back together."

Her parents' expressions both remained unchanged, and she paused for another moment before she prompted, "Any kind of reaction would be good right about now."

"We know," Emily replied simply.

That caught Lorelai completely off guard. "You _know?"_ she repeated. "How do you know?"

"Lorelai, you're our daughter," Emily stated as if that were some sort of explanation.

"And that means you can read my mind?" Lorelai guessed.

"It means we know you better than you think we do," Emily replied. "For the past year, you haven't been yourself. You've been more quiet and less quick on the comebacks. And as much as it may be inappropriate at times, your quick wit is a definition of who you are. During that disastrous marriage to Christopher you lost that."

"I guess I did," Lorelai murmured.

"But then we noticed that you started to seem more like yourself again," Emily said. "Honestly, when Rory left I was worried you might get even more sullen. But it seemed as though you turned a corner in the following weeks, and suddenly it became clear. Luke."

Lorelai couldn't help but smile at the mere mention of his name. "Luke," she said with a nod. "So how long have you known?"

"We had our suspicions," Richard stated. "But in recent weeks you've slipped on your pronouns."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"Instead of 'I' it was suddenly 'we,'" Richard explained. " _We_ were walking through town, _we_ saw on the news, _we_ thought Rory's article was excellent. It wasn't difficult to figure out who the other part of this 'we' was. You seemed happy."

"Wow," Lorelai shook her head. "You've known and you didn't say anything?"

"We figured you had your reasons for keeping it a secret," Emily said. "I knew you'd come to use when you were ready. And here you are."

Lorelai could only stare at the two individuals who resembled her parents. Where these really the same people who had tried to sabotage her relationship with Luke years ago? "Thank you," she finally said. "We've needed some time to work things out, so I'm really grateful that you respected that. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Emily glanced at Richard, then said, "To be honest, we are a bit worried about the situation."

Lorelai nodded. "That's fair," she said. "I was too, for a long time."

"And now?" Richard prompted.

"Now…we've talked through a lot, forgiven a lot," Lorelai said. "We've put Christopher in the past and agreed to be cordial for Rory's sake when it's necessary. And he's promised some things too, with April, and I feel really good about this. We're moving forward, and since we're in a good place I wanted you to know. I'm happy, I really am."

Emily eyed her carefully. "He's treating you well?" she asked.

Lorelai nodded, unable to suppress the smile that spread across her face. "He is," she nodded. "I promise."

"Good," Emily said.

"When you are both ready, we would love to have him join you for dinner sometime," Richard said. "He is welcome here any time."

"Thanks, Dad," Lorelai said. "But…you have to see how he might be a bit weary of that."

"You're happy, Lorelai, that's all we want for you," Emily said. "And you clearly were not happy without him. And you were downright miserable with Christopher."

"I was," Lorelai said. "I appreciate the invitation, I really do. It might take some time, but eventually he may come around to the idea." She paused before she added, "He, um, doesn't know that I'm here. Telling you."

This time surprise did register on both her parents' faces. "Why not?" Richard asked.

"Well, I just was thinking about how well things are going with Luke, and how the three of us have been actually been doing pretty well too," Lorelai said. "I'm happy with pretty much every part of my life right now and that…I don't know if that's ever happened. So I figured I would come here and talk to you about Luke. It's not that I didn't want him to be part of it, but I wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go. I know you're not Luke's biggest fans and I didn't want him to have to be subjected to anything you might have to say about him."

"I must admit we have had our doubts about the boy," Richard consented. "But those are all in the past, Lorelai. You've always been fond of him, and if things have improved like you say they have, and he treats you well, that's all we want."

"And look at what he did for Rory," Emily added. "He clearly cares for her very much."

"Yeah, he does," Lorelai said. "So when I tell him about this conversation, I can assure him there are no hidden agendas? No plans to franchise the diner or force him into insane society functions in the hopes that he won't know what to do? When he's ready, he can come here with me and enjoy a pleasant dinner without strings attached?"

"Yes, Lorelai," Emily said.

"Okay," Lorelai said, sighing in relief. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

"There's no need to thank us, Lorelai," Richard said. "We're your parents."

"I know," Lorelai nodded. "But thank you."

"You're welcome," Emily said simply.

Lorelai started to reach for her bag, debating whether she should say what she wanted to. It probably bordered on none of her business, but she decided to go for it anyways. "Luke's daughter, April, will be spending time with us sometimes," she said. "I think you'd really like her, she's a lot like Rory. More…unique, I suppose, but smart and interesting. Can you promise me, if it ever comes up and it's okay with Luke and her mom, that you'll be nice to her?"

"Of course," Emily promised.

"We'd love to meet her," Richard added.

Lorelai felt herself wanting to cry. Never had she seen her parents so accepting and kind to her. "You have no idea how much this means to me," she said. "After everything, I really appreciate you being here and accepting my decisions."

"We just want what's best for you, Lorelai," Richard informed her.

"That's all we've ever wanted," Emily said.

"I know," Lorelai said, surprised to find that she actually meant it. "I'll see you on Friday?"

"See you on Friday," Richard responded.

As Lorelai entered the foyer, she turned when she heard her mother say her name. "Thank you," Emily said. "For feeling that you could share this part of your life with us. It means a great deal to me as well."

Lorelai only offered her a smile before she turned and slipped out the door. For the first time in her life, she walked out of that house feeling better than when she'd walked in.

XXXXX

Lorelai set Paul Anka's broccoli in his bowl and offered the dog a smile. "Good boy, just make sure you eat Mommy's share so Daddy won't make me eat it," she murmured, petting the dog's fur. She turned to answer the ringing phone, walking into the living room as she did so. Luke was still at the diner, and she had decided to eat dinner at home. She wanted to tell him about her conversation with her parents, but she wanted to do it at home, when they could really talk.

She dropped onto the couch and frowned at her bowl, convinced that Luke had put more carrots than necessary into the soup they'd had for dinner the night before. As she was setting them on a paper plate that sat on the table, then phone rang and she reached for it without looking at who it was.

"Hello?"

"Lorelai?"

"Hi, April," she said. "Your dad's not here, unfortunately. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," April confirmed.

"Well, do you want me to have him call you back?" she asked. "He shouldn't be back too late."

"No, actually, I was calling to talk to you," April replied.

"Oh, really?" Lorelai asked. "What's up?"

"Dad told me that he moved in with you," April said tentatively. "And I just wanted to know…I wanted to talk to you about it."

Lorelai could hear the uncertainty in April's voice and set her bowl on the table, ready to focus solely on the conversation. "Is it okay that he moved in?" she asked gently. "I know it's probably weird for you."

"I think I'm okay with it," April said. "I've never actually seen your house, but Dad says it's nice."

"I like it," Lorelai confirmed.

"He said I'll stay in Rory's room?" April asked.

"Yep, lots of books and right off the kitchen for midnight snacking," Lorelai confirmed.

"Is that okay with Rory?" April asked.

Lorelai smiled softly. "She's fine with it," she assured. "It will be nice to have someone in there again."

April was silent for a moment before she asked, "Are you sure it's okay that I come visit?"

"Of course," Lorelai replied quickly. "Your dad misses you a lot. He's practically counting down the days until you get here."

"I know, I'm just wondering if it's okay with _you,"_ April said.

Lorelai was amazed by the maturity this girl was showing. When she was fourteen she'd never have been this considerate of anyone else's emotions. "April, I'm probably more excited than your dad," she said. "I can't wait to really get to know you."

"Yeah, my stupid parents put a stop to that before," April said sullenly.

Lorelai bit back a laugh and the urge to agree with her. Instead, she said, "We've worked things out, sweetie. Your parents and I are totally on your side."

"Good, because I was really mad at Dad before."

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "And let's face it, as much as he pretends he's a cool dad, he'll never be able to give you a proper pedicure."

April giggled. "I don't think so."

"So that's where I come in," Lorelai said.

"Thanks, Lorelai."

"Not a problem," she said. "Hey, is there anything you want us to have ready for you? Special food or movies or anything? I know you'll spend most of your time with your mom, but I want you to feel at home here when you visit."

"Dad said he'd get some food for me," April said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "If you think of anything, let me know."

"Thanks," April said. "I'm really excited to see you."

"I'm excited to see you too, sweetie," Lorelai promised. "Are you sure you don't want me to tell your dad to call you?"

"No, that's okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow," April said. "Thanks for everything, Lorelai."

"Anytime you need to talk, I'm here," Lorelai promised. "Enjoy the rest of camp."

"Bye," April said cheerfully.

Lorelai hung up the phone and reached for her soup, feeling extremely satisfied with how the conversation with her not quite stepdaughter had just gone. She was glad April felt comfortable talking to her, and it had felt good to reassure her that she was welcome in their house. It would be just another good piece of news for Luke when he got home.

When he walked through the door an hour later, she could immediately tell that he was in a bad mood. The door slammed shut behind him, and he all but threw his keys onto the desk before he turned to her, a scowl on his face. "Does Taylor exist to annoy me?" he asked.

"Hello to you too," Lorelai said, eyebrows raised. She reached to turn off the TV and asked, "What happened?"

"He decided that it would be better for business at his ridiculous ice cream shop if he put in a candy chute. Don't," he warned as Lorelai's expression lit up. "Don't even think about supporting it. He was bugging me all day with all kinds of reconstruction ideas for the entire damn building just so the kids in this town can get diabetes even faster. I think I may double his rent in retaliation."

"I'm sorry you had a bad day," she frowned.

"Par for the course with Taylor around," he sighed, dropping onto the couch beside her. He patted her knee and asked, "How was your day?"

"Pretty good, actually," Lorelai said. Deciding to forgo the talk of her parents until he was in a better mood, she tapped his shoulder and said, "April called. She and I had a really great talk."

"Yeah?" Luke asked. "About what?"

"Her staying here," Lorelai replied. "She was a little nervous about staying in Rory's room and everything, but I told her it was fine."

"She was nervous?" Luke frowned.

Lorelai shrugged. "I think she just needed confirmation that she's welcome here," she said. "Which I was sure to give her."

"I told her it was okay," Luke said.

"I know you did, but maybe she just needed to hear it from me too," Lorelai said. "I think she's okay with it now."

"I didn't know she wasn't okay with it!" Luke's voice began to rise.

"Hey, it's not a big deal," Lorelai said.

"She should have talked to me!" Luke insisted.

"She said she did," Lorelai replied. "Why are you getting mad?"

"Because if April has a problem with something like this, she should come to me, not you!"

Lorelai's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" she asked defensively.

"We talked about this, Lorelai, April should come to me first!" Luke said.

"Whoa, when did the fight start?" Lorelai asked. "I must have missed the flag."

"This isn't funny, don't turn it into a bit," Luke snapped.

"I'm not turning it into a bit, I just don't see why we're arguing," Lorelai said.

"Because my daughter didn't want to stay here and I had no idea!" Luke replied.

"That is _not_ what happened!" Lorelai cried. "You are blowing this way out of proportion!"

"So now you're telling me how to feel?" Luke asked.

"No, I'm trying to tell you what happened," Lorelai replied. "I actually felt good about it, Luke. She called here, looking for me, and I thought, 'hey, this is really going to work out.' She's excited to come and spend time with both of us. I thought that was what you wanted. That's what you _told_ me you wanted."

"That is what I want."

"Then what the hell is your problem?" she asked.

"I want her to come to me if she has an issue," Luke replied.

"Her issue wasn't with you, it was with me," Lorelai said. "That girl is wise beyond her years. She was worried that I wasn't comfortable having her here, and wanted to check for herself that it was okay. That's it. I'm sure she wasn't sitting around thinking 'I'm going to call when I know Dad's not home so I don't have to talk to him.' She adores you, Luke, you know that!"

"I'm going to bed."

"Luke, don't walk away!" Lorelai cried, following him up the stairs. "She and I talked. Really talked. I thought we were on the same page, I thought that was okay. I told her it was okay, don't make a liar out of me."

"Don't put words in my mouth," Luke snapped. "I never called you a liar."

"Well, when April gets here and you won't let her talk to me, she's going to think I lied to her," Lorelai said. "I thought you wanted me to have a relationship with her!"

"I do!"

Lorelai sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't want to fight," she said. "I really want to understand what's going on in your head, Luke. Can we please just talk about this like adults?"

"I just don't want her to feel like she can't come to me," Luke said, his voice calmer.

Lorelai sighed and dropped her arms to her sides, moving to sit next to him on the bed. "I don't think she thinks that," she said. "She just had a question for me, so she called me. I thought it was progress, that she felt comfortable doing that. Care to explain why it now feels like a step back?"

"I don't know, I just want to know what's going on with her," Luke shrugged.

"So I can have a relationship with her as long as she talks to you about things first," Lorelai said.

"I didn't say that."

"When she comes to me to do I need to put her on hold and call you at the diner to see if the conversation has been Luke approved?"

"Don't be dramatic."

"Hello, pot, I'm kettle."

Luke sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Can we just talk about this in the morning?" he asked.

"No, I want to talk about it now," Lorelai said. "We've done the not talking thing, remember how that turned out?"

"We agreed we wouldn't throw the past in each other's faces," he reminded her.

"We also agreed that I was allowed to talk to April," Lorelai said. "So what changed? Now it's a reality, not a hypothetical?"

"I don't know, okay?" he sighed. "I don't know why it bugs me, it just does."

"So are you going to go sleep at the diner now?" she asked. "Emergency bread delivery at four AM?"

"No," Luke said. "I promised I'd stay here, I'm staying here."

She turned her head to look at him. "Even though you're mad?" she asked.

He shrugged as he removed his baseball hat and put it on the dresser. "That doesn't make everything else go away," he said. "I still love you."

"Oh," Lorelai said, thrown for a loop. She'd never fought with a man and heard him declare his love for her at the same time. "I love you too."

"So I'm here," Luke shrugged. "Can you give me some time to wrap my head around this?"

"I guess," Lorelai picked at a hangnail. "Luke, I just don't get what you have to wrap your head around. You're complicating something that's not complicated."

He collapsed on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Please, Lorelai, just let me think," he requested tiredly.

"Fine," she said, storming into the bathroom and slamming the door behind her. She turned on the shower but didn't get in, instead hoping the sound would prevent Luke from hearing her cry.

XXXXX

Lorelai stood in the corner of Miss Patty's the next afternoon, arms crossed over her chest with a sullen expression on her face as she watched teenagers from Stars Hollow High milling around. She'd agreed to supervise the summer science fair set up for the high school, hoping that it might give her something to talk about with April. Now, she was beginning to think that was a complete waste of her time. Luke had completely lost it on her the night before, and she wasn't even sure where they stood at this point.

He'd been gone when she'd woken up that morning, which wasn't unusual. He'd made coffee and left her a note saying he'd be home early for dinner, which was again not unusual. But she still couldn't shake the feelings of annoyance, hurt, and anger at the way he'd reacted to her simple conversation with April. She was beginning to feel the familiar and unwelcome sense of abandonment creeping up on her, and she didn't like it.

"Hey," she tensed when she heard his familiar voice in her ear.

"Hi," she said shortly.

"Has it been busy?" he asked.

She shrugged. "The kids are just setting up for the judging tomorrow," she said. "Don't worry, I'll ask your permission before I talk to any of them."

"Lorelai…"

"Oh, sorry, is it just April I'm not allowed to talk to?" she snapped.

"I came here to apologize," he murmured.

She crossed her arms over her chest, but her expression remained upset. "I'm listening."

"I overreacted," he said. "I'm sorry. I know I should have let you talk. I am glad that April wants to talk to you, I really am. Now that I've calmed down, I realize that I focused on my own stupid stuff instead of what was important."

"Keep going," Lorelai prompted, not willing to make this easy for him.

Luke sighed and waved a hand aimlessly through the air. "I guess I just heard that April came to you with her concerns and tuned out the rest," he said. "I'm still a little insecure, I guess, about being a dad. It hurt that she didn't want to come to me if she was nervous about staying at the house."

"That wasn't what she was doing," Lorelai murmured.

"I know," he replied. "I'm sorry, I really am."

"Is this going to happen every time?" Lorelai asked. "Because I can't do that, Luke. I thought we were past this."

"We are," he said. "I overreacted, and given what's happened before, I can understand how that may have brought out some of your insecurities."

"It did," she nodded. "I was so happy about it, Luke, she didn't even think about it, she just called when she was thinking about me. I know she's your daughter, but when she said she'd called to talk to _me,_ I was thrilled. Like progress was being made. And then you went postal when I tried to share good news with you."

"I know," he said, rubbing a hand over his face.

"But," Lorelai decided to take pity on him. "I am kind of proud of us."

"For fighting?"

"For talking through a fight," Lorelai said. "I mean, I hated the fighting, especially since it still seems like it was completely unnecessary, but…you stayed even though you were upset. That means something."

"I guess," he sighed.

"And it took you less than twenty four hours to realize you were wrong," Lorelai continued. "I still don't get it though."

"I'd just had a bad day," Luke said. "I was looking for an excuse to blow up, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

Lorelai stared at the floor as she turned from side to side slightly, contemplating her next move. "You're in charge of cleaning the bathroom for a month," she said.

"Done."

"And fixing the banister at the inn before you come home tonight."

"Okay."

She paused for another moment, then said, "And you're not going to complain about giving me coffee for a week."

"You got it."

A small smile appeared on her face. "And you're going to kiss me now, because I forgive you."

He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her, squeezing her waist tightly. "I am sorry," he said. "I'm working on it."

"None of us change overnight," she shrugged. "I know you're trying. Maybe we needed a setback to test us."

"I don't like fighting with you," he murmured.

"Then maybe next time you can think about whether there even is something to fight about," Lorelai suggested gently.

"I will," he promised. "I'll go fix the banister. Call me when you're on your way home. I'll order Chinese and have Casablanca cued up."

"Trying to get back on my good side?" she asked.

"How am I doing?" he asked.

"Draw a bath while I'm waiting for the food to come and I'll be yours forever."

"Got it," he said, squeezing her and in both of his. "We're okay?"

She leaned up to kiss him again. "We're okay," she said. "Just think before you yell next time?"

"You got it," he promised.

Lorelai watched him walk across the town square from the open door of the dance studio, wondering why she still didn't feel entirely at ease with his apology.

XXXXX

"At least he apologized," Rory offered later that day as Lorelai took her time walking home.

"I know," Lorelai replied. "I think he's genuinely sorry. It was just such a freak thing. I'd be less upset if there had been a legitimate reason for him to get angry."

"Well, Luke has always had a bit of an explosive personality," Rory tried to explain.

"I know," Lorelai said. "I've always known that. It was just our first fight since everything, and if he'd stop for a second to think, it wouldn't have even happened."

"Well, maybe it's good your first fight was trivial," Rory said. "If it had been over something real, it might not have resolved as quickly. Now you have an idea of what it will be like when a real fight happens."

"When did you get so rational?" Lorelai asked, stopping at the end of the driveway and leaning against her car as she stared at the house.

"I did have a strong role model," Rory said.

Lorelai smiled. "I hear that she's lovely."

"And being a chicken."

Lorelai frowned. "How could you possibly know that?" she asked.

"Reception changed, you're not as windy," Rory explained. "Which means you're no longer walking, and probably putting off going inside and talking to Luke."

"You're too smart for me to talk to anymore," Lorelai informed her.

Rory started making squawking noises on the other end and Lorelai snapped her phone shut, staring at the house for a long moment. When her gaze fell to the chuppah, sitting proudly beside the garage, she squared her shoulders and headed towards the porch, ready to face whatever waited for her on the other side of the door.

"Luke?" she called tiredly as she dropped her purse by the front door.

"Upstairs!" he called down.

"Great," Lorelai murmured as she dragged herself up the stairs. "What are you doing up here?" she asked as she walked into their bedroom and sat down on the end of the bed, kicking off her shoes.

"Getting some of these pictures hung," he said, gesturing to the pictures of the two of them at Liz's wedding she'd hung for the first time nearly two years ago.

"Thanks," Lorelai said. "They look nice."

He placed his hammer back in his toolbox and then pushed the lid closed before he turned back to her. "Do you want me to start a bath for you?" he asked.

She smiled gratefully but shook her head. "Nah, I'm not really in the mood anymore," she said. "I'll order dinner."

"Okay," Luke looked at her carefully. "You okay?"

Lorelai desperately wanted to say yes, but she knew that wouldn't help either of them. "Still just a little shaken," she said.

Luke's face morphed from concern to sorrow. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to play with the ends of her hair. "I was a jerk."

She smiled slightly. "You _acted_ like a jerk," she said. "You're not one. That's why I'm upset."

"Can I do anything to make it better?" he murmured.

"No," Lorelai said. "But I hope when we have a fight about something real you'll remember how badly you feel about going directly to yelling."

He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I will," he promised.

"And I'm holding you to the no complaining thing," Lorelai said firmly.

"If I complain I'll let you behind the counter to get your own coffee," Luke promised.

"Deal."

"I'll give you a few minutes to change," he said, patting her knee before he stood and walked to the door.

"Luke?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he paused just before the door.

She looked at the floor for a moment before she met his gaze. "The fight sucked," she said. "But thanks for staying, and for telling me you love me. It was reassuring to hear."

He nodded and rubbed a hand over his neck. "I never stopped, you know," he said. "Ever."

"I know," she said. "Me neither."

"Good," he nodded. "I'll order the food?"

"Thanks," she said. "I'll be down in a few."

He nodded and she listened to his tread descend the stairs. She sighed as she changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt. Something was still off, and she could only hope that it would go away with time. Luke felt badly and was truly remorseful, but she just hoped he meant it when he said he was okay with her talking to April.

Suddenly, April's impending visit gained even more pressure than it had had to begin with.

XXXXX

"Hey, you're still here," Lorelai commented as she walked into the kitchen the next morning, smiling at Luke as he sat at the table.

He looked up from the sports section with a smile. "Yeah, I knew you had the morning off, I figured we could spend some time together," he said.

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "That's sweet," she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Can I make you breakfast?" he asked.

"Maybe later," she said, sitting down across from him. "Are we past the whole fighting thing?"

"You know how sorry I am," he said.

"I do," she said. "I just have a completely different topic to cover, and I want to know if you're still mad at me."

"I didn't have a right to be mad in the first place," he said.

"Okay, well, just promise you'll hear me out now?" she said. "No overreactions or putting words in my mouth?"

He nodded. "Safe zone," he confirmed.

"Okay," she said. She took a sip of coffee, then placed the mug on the table and leaned towards him. "Abby and I talked about my parents when I was there a couple days ago. We talked about how things have been okay with them recently."

"I know they have been," he said. "I'm glad, for your sake."

"I'm glad you think that," Lorelai said. "Because after Abby, I went to their house and told them we're back together."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "And how did they take that?" he asked hesitantly.

Lorelai smiled slightly. "Well, they proceeded to tell me that they've known that for weeks," she replied.

"How the hell did they know?" Luke asked.

"Apparently, I'm happier than they've ever seen me," she reported. "And for the past year I haven't been myself, but they noticed a few slips of the word _we._ Man, the CIA could really use those two."

"So they knew and they didn't say anything?" he asked.

"They were waiting for us to come to them," she replied. "I think they're trying to respect us this time. They said you're welcome there any time, no strings attached."

He sighed and leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on top of his head.

"And they said there's no rush," Lorelai added. "They were…I've never seen them like that, Luke. They were supportive and kind. I don't know, maybe they're mellowing in their old age."

He eyed her doubtfully. "You understand why I'm not convinced?" he asked.

"I went over all of that with them," she promised. "They really did seem happy with it. They said all they want is for you to treat me and Rory well, to make us happy. That's a done deal, so I think they're okay with it."

"Well, maybe someday I'll be okay with a casual, short dinner with them," Luke relented. "For you. Not them."

Lorelai smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said.

He reached to squeeze her hand. "You feeling better about the past couple days?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm sure I'll get angry with you for no reason at some point."

"Then we'll be even."

She smiled as she leaned forward to kiss him. "You can make that breakfast now," she said.

"On it," he nodded. He started to pull food out of the fridge, then said, "So I'm picking April up on Friday."

"I know," she said. "I'll have her room ready before I leave for dinner."

"Thanks," he said. "I was thinking Saturday we could do that mini golf trip you were planning, maybe go to dinner afterwards."

"That sounds fun," Lorelai nodded. "Are you going to take her on the boat?"

"Yeah, probably Sunday until Tuesday," he responded. "You're sure you don't want to come?"

"No, you need some time alone," she said. "I'll tag along for another outing."

"Okay," he said.

"April said you're going to get some of the food she likes to have on hand?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll stop by the market on Thursday," he replied.

"Do you think there's anything else we can do to make her comfortable?" Lorelai asked. "I can get some science books or something to put in Rory's room."

Luke smiled at her as he turned from the stove. "Come here," he said, holding his hands out to her.

She stood and stepped to him, looking up at him expectantly. "I love you for trying so hard," he said. "And I appreciate your efforts to make April feel at home. But don't go overboard. She just wants to spend time with us."

Lorelai shrugged. "I'm not doing anything for her that I wouldn't do for Rory," she said. "I don't want to bribe her, I just want her to be comfortable."

He smiled softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said. "And you can show your gratitude by making sure you don't burn my bacon."

Luke turned back to the stove quickly and flipped the bacon over. They bantered back and forth over breakfast, and Lorelai felt a sense of relief wash over her at the knowledge that everything really did seem to be back to normal.

Once their dishes were cleaned and stashed in the dish rack, Lorelai turned to Luke and said, "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Okay," he nodded.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side and repeated, "I'm going to go _take a shower."_

His head snapped up to meet her gaze, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly. "You want company?" he asked.

She smiled as she leaned towards him. "The best part of a stupid fight?" she asked. "Real make up sex."

Without a word, Luke grabbed her hand and dragged her to the stairs, her giggles bringing a smile to his own face.

XXXXX

"Thanks again for dinner," Lorelai said to Liz the following evening.

"Oh, no problem!" Liz said, tapping Lorelai's arm. "It's nice to see my brother so happy again."

Lorelai glanced over her shoulder into the living room, where Luke looked absolutely miserable as TJ talked about his new hobby as a cobbler. She stifled a laugh as she said, "Yeah, he's a happy one, that Luke."

Liz placed the final dish in the dishwasher and then turned back to Lorelai. "It's so great having another girl around," she said.

"Oh, well, I'm up for girly activities any time," Lorelai confirmed.

"I just…" Liz stopped when she heard Doula cry over the monitor. "Sorry, I have to…"

"I'll get her!" Luke practically yelled, jumping off the couch and hurrying towards the stairs in an attempt to get away from TJ.

"Aw, he's such a great uncle," Liz said as she led Lorelai into the living room. "He loves Doula so much."

"I know he does," Lorelai said as she sat down on the couch.

"Nice shoes, Lorelai," TJ said appreciatively.

"Uh, thanks," Lorelai said, glancing over her shoulder desperately, wondering what was taking Luke so long.

"Luke said April gets in later this week?" Liz asked, settling down beside TJ.

"Yeah, he's going to pick her up…Friday," Lorelai said, distracted when her eyes landing on Luke as he slowly descended the stairs. Doula was cradled in his arms, and he held a finger out for her to chew on. She swallowed hard at the sight, trying to fight her pure instinctive need to drag him home and make a baby of their own right at that moment.

"She okay?" Liz asked her brother.

"Yeah, I changed her diaper," Luke said, lowering himself to the couch beside Lorelai without taking his eyes off the baby.

"Couldn't put her down, huh?" Lorelai asked, reaching her hand out to hold Doula's. "Hi sweetheart. You must have your uncle's genes, because you're almost as pretty as he is."

Luke offered her a side smile before he returned his attention to Doula. "Don't listen to her, she's crazy," he said to her.

"And he's cranky," Lorelai replied. "I'm your Auntie Lorelai. Remember that when it's time for your first word. _Lorelai."_ She leaned closer to Luke as the baby grinned up at them. "God, you're precious."

"Her eyes are so blue," Luke murmured.

"Hmm, she got the Danes eyes," Lorelai observed. "They're perfect."

"Oh my god, you guys look so cute with a baby!" Liz exclaimed from across the room.

Lorelai blushed and scooted further away from Luke. For his part, Luke remained focused on his niece, trying to hide his own red cheeks.

"I've hit a nerve, haven't I?" Liz asked. "I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," Lorelai said, reaching for her wine.

"You really shouldn't drink that if you want to have a baby," TJ told her.

"Oh, I…" Lorelai started, glancing at Luke before she cleared her throat. "I'm not pregnant."

"Well, you better get working on that, buddy," TJ said to Luke. "Her eggs aren't exactly farm fresh."

Lorelai was glad Luke was holding a baby upon hearing those words, because she was almost positive he would have killed TJ right in the middle of the living room otherwise.

"TJ, mind your own business," Liz snapped. "Sorry, he thinks that he knows everything about fertility now."

"Well our swimmers keep getting better, but you ladies…" TJ started.

"Lorelai, take the baby," Luke said through gritted teeth.

"No way," she said. "I take her, you kill TJ."

He turned to look at her, eyes blazing. "That's the plan," he said. "Take her."

Lorelai simply held eye contact with him and took another sip of wine.

Luke looked down at Doula, who had dozed off in his arms and Lorelai could see his face begin to relax. It was sad, she thought, that he had missed this with his own daughter. All over again, she began to hate Anna for keeping that from him. As much as he loved being a father now, he'd never get those twelve years back.

For a brief moment, she allowed herself to imagine that this was their baby he was rocking to sleep. As much as she wanted to fight the urge, she knew that she and Luke could make beautiful babies. And she also knew that as obnoxious as TJ was, he wasn't exactly wrong.

With a frown, she set her half full wine glass on the table and reached out to rub Luke's shoulder. "We should go," she said to Liz and TJ. "Let you get her to bed."

"Thank you so much for coming," Liz said, standing to hug Lorelai tightly. "And for making my brother so happy."

Lorelai smiled as she sneaked one more glance at Luke, who remained focused entirely on Doula. "My pleasure," she said honestly.

"Alright, big brother, time to give her back," Liz said. "But I will accept your baby sitting services any time."

"Bye, Doula," Luke murmured, and Lorelai again felt her primordial instincts kick into high gear as he pressed a kiss to his niece's cheek.

"Lorelai, if you ever need your shoeepaired, call me," TJ instructed. "I'm the best in the town."

"I'll remember that," Lorelai said as Luke pulled the front door open.

"And Luke!" TJ exclaimed. "If you need any tips on baby making, I'm an expert. I've read all the books and tried all the positions."

"Luke, don't," Lorelai said, tugging on his arm as he started towards TJ. "Come on, fresh air, it's so nice out here. That's it, back away from the brother in law."

"I'm going to kill him," Luke insisted before he turned back to TJ. "I'm going to kill you."

Lorelai tugged harder on his arm, then stepped in front of him and pushed him out the door. "Let's go home," she requested.

"Sure," Luke nodded. "After I kill TJ."

"Luke, Luke!" she said, stepping in front of him as he tried to reach for the door. "It's just TJ. He's harmless."

"He's an idiot," Luke grumbled. "How that man reproduced is beyond me."

"Hey, it got you a pretty gorgeous niece," Lorelai pointed out, pushing him towards the sidewalk.

"I don't like that guy."

"I know, honey, but your sister loves him."

"My sister's brain is fried from smoking too much pot."

Lorelai nodded. "Probably true," she said. "But he makes her happy."

Luke put his hands on his hips and let out a frustrated breath. "The things he said to you…"

"Hey, I have endured over thirty years of dinners with Richard and Emily Gilmore," Lorelai replied. "TJ is like free entertainment compared to them."

"It didn't upset you?" Luke asked, reaching his hand out to rub her arm.

"What, the baby stuff?" Lorelai asked. When Luke nodded she said, "Well, it's not exactly been far from my mind even before he started. And seeing you with Doula…I don't know."

He nodded in understanding. "Maybe we should both take time to think about it?" he suggested. "Talk about it when April goes home?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good," she said. "It's not like we'd be able to do very much about it with her in the house anyway."

Luke froze and glanced at the sky. "Huh."

Lorelai giggled. "You just realized that you going on a boat trip with your daughter means you're going to be getting way less sex than usual, didn't you?" she asked.

"Does that make me a bad dad?"

Lorelai pretended to think about it. "Not if we fit it all the sex for those two nights in tonight," she confirmed with a nod.

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "Let's go home," he murmured.

"Okay," she said, taking his hand. She looked up at him as they walked, then asked, "It must be sad for you that you never got to see April when she was a baby."

His hand tightened around hers. "Yeah, it does," he sighed. "Especially after Doula, it makes me really see what I missed."

"I wish you could have experienced that too," Lorelai said. "I bet she was a beautiful baby."

"I've seen pictures," Luke nodded. "She was."

"I liked seeing you with Doula," she commented. "You looked like a natural."

He shrugged. "I've babysat some since she's been around," he said.

"And you know how to change diapers," Lorelai said. "I'll have to document this knowledge in case you claim otherwise in the future."

He smiled down at her. "I'd change our kid's diaper," he promised.

"Good, because I won't," Lorelai replied. "I did it enough with Rory. For someone so clean now, she sure used a lot of diapers."

"Geez, Lorelai," he rolled his eyes.

"I'm kidding, of course I'll change her diaper."

"Her?" Luke asked. "We're automatically assuming our yet to be conceived baby is a she?"

"Two girls between the two of us," Lorelai shrugged. "It's a probability thing."

"And what if it's a boy?" Luke asked.

"Then we'll dress him in flannel and send him to kindergarten with a thermos full of coffee."

"I want it."

"A coffee crazed five year old?" she asked.

" _Our_ five year old," he replied.

"I want it too," she said. "But it's a huge, life changing decision, Luke. We've barely got our feet on the ground just the two of us. Neither Rory or April were planned, and we got lucky with them. Call me old fashioned, but I'd like to be ready, really ready, if we're going to have a baby."

"I know, me too," he admitted.

"So let's talk after April's visit," she said. "And remember-if everything goes well, you've got a job to do."

"Trust me, I know," Luke said.

"Are you nervous?" she asked curiously.

"No," he said quickly, then sighed. "Maybe a little."

"I guess that's fair," Lorelai said. "I know you're waiting for me to be ready."

"It's okay, I told you to take your time."

"I know, I just don't want you to think I don't want it," Lorelai said. "I do, I just want to be sure April's okay with it."

"Which I appreciate," he said.

"The second I'm sure, you'll be the first to know," Lorelai nodded. "Maybe I'll hire a skywriter. Take out an ad in the sports section. Have Patty activate the phone tree. Tell Taylor to call a town meeting."

"I simple, 'hey, Luke, I'm ready,' will do just fine," he said.

"You're no fun," she pouted.

"No fun?" he asked, turning to her as they walked up the driveway.

"Yeah, no skywriter or anything," Lorelai said. "Oh, hey, how about the jumbo tron at the big game?"

"I will give you a hundred dollars if you can tell me which sport is in season right now," Luke said as they climbed the steps.

"Uh…shopping?"

"Nice try."

She shrugged. "I never claimed to be a sports fan," she said.

"Just get inside."

Lorelai giggled as he pushed her into the house. "Why, Butch, you're so roman…" her words were cut off as Luke kissed her deeply, slamming the front door behind them.

* * *

 **So...there you go. They've fought and realized they're going to have to keep working on their issues. Hopefully it has been made clear that Luke and Lorelai are end game (as Luke aka Scott Patterson himself confirmed this week). Please keep reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I am so pleased to hear that you're still reading (and enjoying) this story. Thank you so much for all the reviews!**

 **This chapter highlights some moments from April's visit to Stars Hollow. I think I'm in the minority of Gilmore Girls fans in that I actually like April, and think she was an interesting plot twist on the show. HOWEVER it was how Luke handled the entire situation that made me stop watching after season 6. This is my attempt to fix how she was introduced to Lorelai, and a majority of this chapter focuses on the two of them.**

 **Happy reading!**

Lorelai stood outside her front door, gaining the courage to walk through. She had called Luke earlier to tell her she was on her way home from Friday Night Dinner and he'd put April on to talk as well. Both father and daughter had sounded happy to be reunited and excited for her to join them. But now she was home and found herself afraid to go inside.

From the corner of her eye she saw the light in Rory's room flip on and knew she had to go inside before someone caught her lurking outside her own house. She pushed the door open and dropped her purse on the ground. "I'm home!" she announced.

"Kitchen!" Luke called back.

"How was…" as she turned towards the kitchen Lorelai collided with a bubbly mass of curly hair and gangly limbs that reached to hug her tightly. "April!"

"Hi, Lorelai!" she said excitedly.

"Oh, sweetie, look at how big you've gotten!" Lorelai exclaimed, taking a step back to take a good look at the teenager. April had certainly grown taller, and she still wore her black rimmed glasses, but her curls were smoother and better maintained. She was smiling brightly, and Lorelai could see bright white teeth that lacked the braces that used to cover them. "You look so beautiful."

"Thanks!" April said, practically bouncing up and down in her spot. "Your house is so cool. I love all of Rory's books!"

Lorelai smiled as she wrapped her arm around April's shoulders and guided her towards the kitchen. "Yes, I'm pretty sure they make up ninety percent of the house's foundation at this point," she said. "Feel free to borrow any of them."

"She won't mind?" April asked.

"Not at all," Lorelai said, smiling at Luke who was closing the fridge. "Hey, you."

"Hey," he surprised her by leaning in for a quick kiss, which she returned gratefully. "How was dinner?"

"Long," Lorelai said. "I knew we were having our guest of honor arrive, and let me tell you, listening to my mother discuss the rare teaspoon collection fundraiser she's organizing was no fun when I knew you two were here partying without me."

April frowned. "That sounds boring anytime," she said.

"You are so your father's daughter," Lorelai informed her. "Hey, you made coffee!"

"Holding up my end of the bargain," Luke said with a smile.

Lorelai smiled as she poured herself a cup, then turned to April. "Come tell me about camp," she said, leading her into the living room. "And make sure you use small words, because it's late."

Luke began to slice the pie he'd made as he heard April launch into a description of her science camp in Boston. He'd heard most of the stories already, and he was happy to give Lorelai a few minutes with April alone. He knew she'd been nervous to have his daughter visit, and his blow up at her earlier in the week hadn't helped the matter.

"…you'll love it," he heard Lorelai say as he entered the room and handed each of them a plate of pie.

"Love what?" he asked, sitting down in the chair by the stairs.

"The boat," April turned to him, her eyes shining. "I really have my own bed?"

"Well, it's a kitchen table most of the time, but it turns into a bed when we need it to," Luke explained.

"I can't wait," April said. "Lorelai said you even wore shorts!"

He turned to eye her warily, and she shrugged as she took another bite of pie. "Good pie," she said enthusiastically.

April giggled at the interaction, then asked, "Where's Rory right now?"

"In the great state of Arizona," Lorelai replied. "She's heading to your state next."

"Does she like it?" April asked. "New Mexico is really different than Connecticut."

"Her job keeps her pretty busy, but they did make a stop at the Grand Canyon," Lorelai said. "Hey, you should e-mail her some good places to eat in Albuquerque. She's determined to prove to this one that his pancakes are the best in the country."

"Oh, they definitely are," April said. "You should sell your recipe, Dad."

"No way, it's a family secret," he said. "Your grandmother taught me. Someday soon I'll teach you."

"Really?" April asked.

"Yeah, but you're sworn to secrecy, no matter how much you're bribed otherwise," Luke said with a pointed look at Lorelai.

She held up her hands innocently in front of her. "Who am I to interfere with tradition?" she asked. "Besides, all I have to do is tell Rory. She'll make the Rory face and you'll give like a house of cards."

"I'm building up an immunity," Luke informed her.

"Sure you are," Lorelai nodded. "That's why there's a box of fudge covered brownies waiting at her hotel in New Mexico."

"She asked politely," Luke replied. "There was no begging or demanding."

"I do not demand!" Lorelai gasped. "I gently suggest if you have time, you can make me food, if you want to."

"Depends on your definition of _gently,"_ Luke replied.

April watched the two of them banter back and forth. She'd never seen her father like this, and although he was pretending to tease Lorelai, she could tell that the two of them were just kidding. The smiles on both of their faces told her that things were good between them.

"So I was thinking tomorrow morning we could go check out the Stars Hollow High summer science fair," Lorelai said. "Wow, say that five times fast."

"Science fair?" April's face lit up.

"It looks pretty good, they were judging tonight," Lorelai said. "My personal favorite was a comparison between the caffeine amounts in the coffee at Weston's vs. a certain diner that shall not be named." She glanced at Luke then leaned towards April and whispered loudly, "If the results had been different your dad would have lost his favorite customer."

April giggled. "That's so cool!" she said. "I can't wait to see what kinds of experiments were performed."

"I think they're opening at ten, so we can have a nice long breakfast in town," Lorelai said. "Any suggestions?"

"I have heard wonderful things about Al's Pancake World," April stated.

Lorelai turned to look at Luke with glee. "Hear that, hon?" she asked. "What do you think, care to join us at Al's?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'll make breakfast here," he said.

"Oh, even better!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Can we have chocolate chip pancakes?"

"And eggs with bacon?"

"And muffins?"

"Oh, and oatmeal!" April exclaimed.

Lorelai turned to look at her. "We'll work on that," she said.

"I'm taking Paul Anka for a walk," Luke stated, standing and reaching for the dog's leash. As he walked past Lorelai he offered her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and she knew he was thankful she was making April's first night comfortable and enjoyable.

"Thank you," she said, her tone conveying that she was thankful for more than him taking the dog out.

When the door closed behind him, Lorelai turned to April. "So your dad gave you the big tour?" she asked.

"Yeah," April nodded. "Is it okay if I go to bed soon? I'm kind of tired."

"Of course," Lorelai said. "You don't have to ask permission for anything, April. This may not be the home where you spend all your time, but it is your home."

"Thanks, Lorelai," she said.

"Let's get you settled in," Lorelai said. As they walked towards Rory's room, Lorelai put on her tour guide voice. "The fridge is stocked with plenty of cool water, and cookies are stored above the coffee pot. The bathroom is conveniently located at the top of the steps, and clean towels are in the closet. Make sure you ask permission before leaving the premises. We hope you enjoy your stay at Lorelai and Luke's, and please come again soon."

April smiled as she unzipped her suitcase. "I'm really glad I'm here," she said. "I love my dad and all, but that apartment was kind of cramped when I stayed there."

Lorelai sat down on the edge of the bed and watched as April pulled out a set of pajamas. "It is a step up," she agreed. "I'm glad you're both here too. It's about time, huh?"

"I'm so sorry, Lorelai," April blurted out suddenly.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "For what?" she asked.

"I'm the reason you and Dad broke up," April murmured, looking down at the floor. "I completely uprooted his entire life, and yours, and I'm so sorry."

"Oh, honey, that's not true at all," Lorelai said, again moved by the way April conducted herself like an adult. She'd obviously been thinking about this for over a year now. "What happened was not your fault at all. Your dad is _thrilled_ to have you in his life, you know that."

"But it ruined your engagement," April said.

"No, _we_ ruined our engagement," Lorelai corrected. "Just because we're grown ups does not mean we're perfect. Nothing that happened was your fault at all, and your dad would be the first person to agree with me."

April sniffled and took her glasses off to wipe her eyes. "I just feel so bad," she said. "You and Dad were supposed to be married by now, and you're not even engaged again!"

"Hey, let us do the worrying, okay?" Lorelai said, reaching out to pull April into a hug. "We're here, we're happy, and that's enough for us for now. You enjoy being a kid, because trust me, it goes too fast."

April hugged her back, and Lorelai rubbed her back gently. A moment later, she pulled back and looked down at April. "Don't worry, sweetie, we're getting it together, okay?" April nodded in understanding, and Lorelai smiled. "Good. Now, put those tears away because we both know your dad will get totally freaked out if he gets back and you're crying."

April laughed through her tears. "That's true," she said.

"How about you go wash your face and brush your teeth?" Lorelai suggested. "While you're doing that, I'll perform your turn down service."

"Thanks," April said, gathering her pajamas in her arms and scurrying towards the stairs.

Lorelai smiled as she reached to lift April's suitcase off the bed and pull her sheets down. Although Rory had been a fairly easy teenager-her dramatic moments had come later, during college-she had had her fair share of typical teenage girl meltdowns. Lorelai had become an expert at managing angry, sad, regretful, and confused teenage tantrums, and she supposed now she was going to have to reach into her old bag of tricks now that April was present.

She looked up when she heard the front door close and met Luke in the kitchen. "Hey."

"Hi," he said, glancing into Rory's room. "Where's April?"

"Brushing her teeth," Lorelai said. She moved to rinse her coffee cup out, asking over her shoulder, "Hey, did she talk to you about us at all?"

"You and me us?" Luke asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai turned to look at him. "She seemed to think that what happened when we broke up was her fault."

"What?" Luke frowned.

"I don't know, we were just talking, and all of a sudden she blurts out that she's sorry and if she hadn't shown up we'd be happily married by now," Lorelai said. "I promised her that it wasn't her fault at all, but maybe you can bring it up with her too? Without telling her I told on her? She probably needs to hear it from you too."

"Sure," Luke reached to squeeze her arm. "Thanks for handling it."

Lorelai shrugged. "Please," she said. "When Rory was fourteen, she cried for three days because she was convinced Al stopped serving pancakes after she skipped Sunday breakfast in favor of one Luke's Diner. Teenage girls don't always think rationally."

"I'm not ready for this," Luke muttered.

"Luckily, you've got me," Lorelai said.

He reached for her hand and squeezed it. "Luckily," he agreed.

She smiled up at him, then looked past him to April. "Hey, sweetie, all ready for your beauty sleep?" she asked.

"Yeah," April said with a nod.

"Alright, well, let me know if you need anything," Lorelai said, stepping past Luke and running her hand over April's arm. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too," April said, flashing Lorelai a grateful smile.

Lorelai disappeared into the living room, and Luke leaned against the doorframe to Rory's room as April stepped inside. "You doing okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks, Dad," April said as she tossed her dirty clothes into her suitcase.

"Okay, well, if you need anything, just let us know," Luke said.

"I will," April said. "Thanks for coming all the way to Boston to pick me up."

"Of course," Luke shrugged.

April stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She buried her head against his chest, and he marveled at how much taller she'd gotten since the last time he'd seen her. "I'm really glad you and Lorelai are working things out," she murmured against his flannel. "She's so great."

"Yeah, she is," Luke said. "And you're sure you're okay staying here? You're not just saying that because you think that's what I want to hear?"

April smiled as she pulled away. "Dad, no offense, but here I don't have to listen to you snore," she said. "And Lorelai's funny. I like it here."

"Good, me too," he said. "And I do not snore."

"Yes you do!" Lorelai's voice called from the living room and April giggled.

"Night, Dad," she said, stepping towards the bed.

"Goodnight, kid."

"Everything okay?" Lorelai asked, looking up from her movie when he entered the living room a moment later.

"Yeah, she seems really glad to be here," Luke nodded.

"I'm glad," Lorelai said. "And it's okay that she and I talked like we did?"

"Of course," Luke said, dropping onto the couch beside her. He rubbed her knee and rested his head against the back of the couch.

"Good," Lorelai said. "It's impressive, how much she thinks about the people around her. When I was fourteen I was hell bent on figuring out how I could sneak out of the house to go drink with my friends."

"Growing up in that house, I don't blame you," Luke replied. "But I guess I never really talked to April like I should have about what happened. I'll try to talk to her while she's here."

"Okay," Lorelai said. She reached to rub his shoulder. "Let's go upstairs, you're going to fall asleep here."

"I'm okay," he murmured.

"Okay, well, I'm going up, and I'm too dainty to carry you, so do what you want," she shrugged as she stood. Luke followed closely behind her, and by the time he entered their bedroom she'd already pulled on a set of summer pajamas. He closed the door and began changing into his own sweats, turning when he saw Lorelai examining him closely.

"What?" he asked self consciously.

"Nothing," she said, sliding into bed. "It's just that this was the first time I've really seen you as an active parent. It's nice."

"I'm still learning," Luke shrugged.

"So am I," Lorelai laughed. "There's no secret, Luke, contrary to what you told me on that carriage ride years ago."

Luke cringed. "I was an idiot," he said.

"No you weren't, you just had no clue what you were doing back then," Lorelai said in a soothing voice.

"Thanks."

She giggled and snuggled close as he slid into his side of the bed. "She adores you, Luke," she murmured. "She's happy you're happy."

"I know," he said. "I couldn't get her to stop talking the entire drive home. God help me when the three of you are in a room together."

"The world may fall off its axis," Lorelai said. "Who would have thought that all the women in your life would be incessant talkers?"

"And eaters," Luke sighed. "That girl has an endless appetite."

"She's growing," Lorelai said. "When Rory went through her last growth spurt I almost went broke trying to feed her."

"Thanks for being so good with April," Luke murmured.

"Thanks for _letting_ me be good with April," Lorelai replied. She leaned in to kiss him. "Goodnight."

"Night," he said, turning his light off and settling against his pillows.

XXXXX

"Luke!" Lorelai admonished the following evening at the eighth hole of the mini golf course. "What are you doing?"

"Golfing?" he suggested, gesturing to the green ball in front of him.

"Yeah, but we're on the eighth hole," Lorelai said. "Everyone knows you can't shoot a straight hole in one on the eighth hole."

"Says who?" Luke asked.

"Statistically speaking, a majority of golf courses make the holes more challenging as they progress," April reported. "It's not exclusive to mini golf, but it's highly improbable that you'll score a hole in one with a direct shot."

"And you don't need another hole where it takes eight putts," Lorelai reminded him.

"I'm trying to focus," Luke said impatiently.

"Right, sorry," Lorelai said. She took a step back and muttered to April, "If he gets this in less than five putts I'll buy you an ice cream."

"Deal," April high fived her.

Luke sighed and turned to glare at them.

"Go Luke!" Lorelai offered him an overenthusiastic thumbs up.

Seven putts later, Luke had scored and trailed behind April and Lorelai with a scowl. "Okay, that puts Lorelai in first, me in second and Dad in last," April reported. "This hole will determine the winner."

"After you," Lorelai said to Luke. "Want a tip?"

"No."

"It's a trap," Lorelai informed him.

"I didn't ask."

"You have to aim for the clown, where it will bounce towards the monkey, and then go directly into the tiger's mouth."

"I can do it," Luke said.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows and stepped back, watching as Luke aimed directly for the tiger's mouth. "Luke, you didn't aim for the clown!" she insisted when the ball fell back down an incline and landed mere inches from where it had started.

He stepped back and gestured to the course. "Care to do better?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "Take notes," she said to April.

She placed her ball on the marker, positioned her club, and tapped the ball towards the clown. Just as she said, it rolled towards the monkey and then changed course towards the tiger, where her ball disappeared.

She gave a triumphant smile to Luke and April, who were both staring at her with impressed expressions on their faces. "I give you Lorelai, daughter of Richard, golfs every weekend, Gilmore," she said with a dramatic bow. "I perfected the art of golf putts by the time I was five. Unfortunately for my dad, it didn't go beyond that."

"Can you show me?" April asked.

"Sure," Lorelai said. "It's nice to know someone around here will listen to me."

Luke rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the feeling of peace that washed over him as he watched Lorelai demonstrate the strategy to April. It had been wonderful spending the day with both of them, and he wondered what the hell he had been so afraid of in the past.

When April followed Lorelai's direction and scored a hole in one, they both squealed and hugged tightly. Although he'd failed miserably at the actual golfing part of the evening, it had been a huge success in terms of seeing Lorelai and April solidify a friendship.

"Okay, Cool Hand, ice cream's on you!" Lorelai called, interrupting his thoughts.

"I never said that," he replied.

"Yeah you did," April replied. "On the way here, Lorelai suggested that the loser buys ice cream, and you said okay."

Lorelai looked down at her with an impressed nod. "I'm going to like having you around," she announced.

Luke shook his head and gestured to the ice cream stand near the parking lot. "One scoop," he insisted.

"Two," Lorelai replied with a pout.

Unable to deny her after how amazing she'd been all day, he relented. "But no toppings," he said.

"Well, duh, I'm going to get the chocolate peanut butter crunch, so the toppings are already inside," Lorelai stated as if it were obvious.

Ten minutes later they were seated on a bench, April in the middle, each enjoying their own ice cream.

"Thanks for today," April said. "It was a lot of fun."

"It was, wasn't it?" Lorelai agreed.

"I'm glad you had fun," Luke said, smiling down at April.

"Are you sure you can't come with us tomorrow, Lorelai?" April asked. "Please?"

Lorelai glanced at Luke, then smiled down at April. "It's not that I don't want to, sweetie, but I've got a lot of work to do at the inn," she said. "Plus, I don't want you to get bored of me too quickly."

Luke shook his head. Lorelai and boring were two words that should never be uttered in the same sentence.

"I'll tell you what, when you get back you can give me a complete play by play," Lorelai said. "And _please_ include an impression of your dad when he finds the present I left on the boat for him."

Luke narrowed his eyes at her. He couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but if she was telling April it was there it must have been daughter friendly at least.

He swallowed his final bite and then turned to April. "Hey, you should call your mom tonight since we won't be able to talk to her when we're on the boat," he said.

"Okay," April nodded. She glanced at Lorelai and asked, "Is it okay to tell her everything we've been doing?"

"Of course," Luke said, resting his arm on the bench behind April and holding his palm out to Lorelai. She mirrored his position and squeezed his hand. "She knows about Lorelai."

"And she's okay with it?" April asked.

"Yes," Luke said firmly. "You don't have to worry about any of that, April. If your mom has a problem, she'll come to me. All you have to do is be you."

"Okay," April said, popping the final piece of her cone into her mouth. "Are we going to stop for movies now?"

Lorelai smiled, remembering her promise to show April a true Gilmore movie night. "How about we start with the greatest movie of all time?" she asked. "Have you ever seen _Casablanca?"_

"No," April shook her head.

"Well, then, we have work to do," Lorelai said as she stood, putting her hands on April's shoulders. "Let's go!"

XXXXX

The following evening, Lorelai placed her clean plate into the dish drainer and then turned to the empty kitchen, leaning up against the counter for a moment. Luke and April had departed for their boat outing a couple hours before. Despite one last plea from April, she had promised they'd spend time together when she returned. Luke deserved time alone with his daughter, and she was more than happy to let him have it, knowing how much she cherished moments alone with Rory.

But now she was realizing how much she hated her empty house. She couldn't believe that she'd ever lived here alone. Rory's first year at Yale, before Luke had become a presence in the house, had been particularly lonely. Now she felt almost isolated as she listened to the crickets chirping outside.

With a sigh, she poured herself a cup of coffee and dialed Rory's number, not surprised when she received the voicemail. After leaving a quick message, she walked into the living room and found Paul Anka sprawled out on the couch. "Paul Anka, want to go for a walk with Mommy?" she asked excitedly.

The dog lifted his head and stared at her wearily, as if to say, "I know you didn't just wake me up to suggest exercising."

"Well, you are your mother's dog," Lorelai sighed. As she sat down in the armchair, the phone rang and she let out a frustrated sigh. "Every time," she muttered, pushing herself to her feet to answer it.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Oh…hi, Lorelai."

"Hi," she replied uncertainly. "Can I ask who this is?"

"It's Anna," the voice on the other line said after a brief pause.

"Oh," Lorelai cleared her throat. "Hi, Anna. How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. Is April there?"

Lorelai was taken aback. "No, she and Luke went out on the boat," she said with a frown. "She told us she called you last night. They'll be gone for a couple nights."

Anna was silent, then she let out a breath. "I guess I didn't realize they were going overnight," she said. "They'll be back Tuesday?"

"In the afternoon," Lorelai said. "I'll have her call you the second she gets back."

"Okay, thanks," Anna said. "She's doing okay? It's been weeks since I've seen her."

Lorelai felt her heart go out to her, from mother to mother. "She's great," she said sincerely. "April's a really special girl. You should be really proud of her."

"I am," Anna admitted. "I miss her."

"I know the feeling," Lorelai said. "Rory's off traveling the country. I don't even know when I'll see her again."

"Wow, I can't imagine that," Anna murmured. "At least I know when April's coming home, I can look forward to it."

"Thanks for letting her spend an extra week," Lorelai said. "It really means a lot to Luke. He misses her."

"It means a lot to April too," Anna said. She was quiet for a moment before she said, "You know, I apologized to Luke for everything I said and did last year, but I guess I owe you an apology for that too."

"Oh, well…" Lorelai wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

"I really am sorry," Anna said. "But you're a single mom too. I guess it was just the thought of losing April to her long lost father and his fun, trendy fiancé that terrified me."

"I get it," Lorelai said, remembering how she'd felt when Sherry had tried to worm her way into Rory's heart years ago. "But Luke wasn't long lost. He wasn't ever given a chance."

Anna sighed. "I was wrong, I know," she said. "Especially seeing him now. He's an excellent father. And a great guy."

"The best," Lorelai corrected.

"It certainly would have been different if he'd been around," Anna said. "Maybe things could have worked out with us."

Lorelai frowned. She didn't even want to _think_ about a world where Luke had married Anna. "Look, we're here now," she said. "Luke and I are in a good place and April seems really happy. All I want is for you, me, and Luke to agree on some basic ground rules for April. I won't go against anything the two of you decide, but I want to be involved so I know where the boundaries are."

"I know," Anna said. "Just…tell her to call, okay? I miss her."

"She'll call," Lorelai promised. "I'll dial the phone myself if I have to."

"Thanks. Bye, Lorelai."

"Bye," Lorelai said, hanging up the phone and tossing it onto the couch. She crossed her arms over her chest as she contemplated the conversation she'd just had, the time she'd spent with April so far this weekend, and her countless conversations with Luke about their future.

With a decided nod, she ran up the stairs to dig through her make up drawer and retrieve the item she should have returned to Luke weeks ago.

XXXXX

"This boat is so great," April said to Luke as they ate a simple dinner of sandwiches and macaroni salad that evening.

"I'm glad you like it," he said with a nod.

"Maybe next summer we can do that big boat trip," April suggested.

"That would be nice," Luke agreed. He watched April for a moment before he said, "You seemed a little nervous about taking about your mom last night."

April shrugged. "I know you said things are okay, but I don't want to make Lorelai feel bad," she said.

"Lorelai knows you have a mom who loves you," Luke said gently.

"I know, I just wish things were different sometimes," April said.

"Different how?" Luke asked.

"I wish you'd have let me know her sooner," April murmured. "I really like her, Dad. And it's obvious that she makes you happier than I've seen you…ever."

Her comment made him think of Lorelai's observation of how considerate and aware of other people that April was. He certainly hadn't cared about others to this capacity when he was a teenager.

"She does," he said. "But I'm so glad you found me, April, you know that, don't you?"

"Yeah," she said, shoving her macaroni around her plate with her fork. "But I still don't get it. We had so much fun at my birthday party. And then I never saw her again. I guess I felt like maybe it was too much for her, her kid had grown up, she couldn't deal with a bunch of teenage girls running around."

"That is not true _at all."_ Luke said firmly. "Honestly, she'd probably hang out with you and your friends before she spent time with her own friends."

"So then what happened?" April asked.

Luke sighed. "It's complicated," he tried to explain. "But I guess, and it's not your mom's fault either, but I guess we were both a little nervous about Lorelai being part of your life."

"Why?" April asked. "Is it because she had Rory when she was so young? Were you afraid she would be a bad influence?"

Luke frowned. He hadn't realized until now that Lorelai had only been a year older than April when she'd gotten pregnant. "Not at all," he said. "I can't speak for your mom, but I was scared she was going to keep you from me. This was back before I had custody rights."

April sighed as she tossed her fork onto her plate. "The whole thing seems stupid," she informed him.

"The whole thing _was_ stupid," Luke agreed. "But we're here now. You're okay with how things are going with Lorelai? She's sticking around this time."

"I am," April promised. "She's amazing."

"Yeah, she is," Luke agreed with a small smile. He watched as April began to eat again, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

XXXXX

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Luke asked Lorelai a week later as he placed his baseball cap on his head.

Lorelai glared at his reflection in the mirror. "Luke, if you ask me one more time I am putting the chain lock on the house tonight," she threatened. "April and I will be _fine."_

"I know, but tomorrow's her last day here and I feel badly that I have to work tonight," he said disappointedly.

"She gets it," Lorelai said. "Plus, I already told her that we'd have a girls' night out, and no offense, but you weren't invited anyways."

Luke opened his mouth to respond when April appeared hesitantly in the doorway of their bedroom. "Hey, everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, peering into the room without crossing the threshold.

"You can come in, sweetie, it's okay," Lorelai said with a warm smile.

April stepped into the room, taking in the pictures that lined the walls and Lorelai's shoes that spilled out of the closet, her eyes widening slightly when they landed on the unmade bed. "I was just wondering if you had any extra toothpaste," she said.

"Sure," Luke disappeared into the bathroom and returned a moment later with a new tube of toothpaste. "Keep it."

"Thanks," April said. She retreated down the hall and Luke leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Lorelai's head.

"Take care of her?" he asked.

"I promise her tattoo will be classy."

"And invisible," he requested. "Have fun."

"You too," she said with a smile.

Five minutes later, as she heard the front door close, Lorelai saw April appear in the doorway again. "Hey, you run out of mouthwash this time?" she asked.

"No," April said. "I just thought…"

"Come keep me company," Lorelai said, moving into the bathroom. "I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay," April said. She perched on the edge of the tub and watched curiously as Lorelai slid her glasses off and popped her contacts into her eyes. "Wow, you make it look so easy."

"Years of practice," Lorelai said.

"How old were you when you first got them?" April asked.

"Around your age, actually," Lorelai said. "I think my parents were afraid the glasses weren't ladylike, so they decided it was time."

"Sometimes I wish I could get contacts," April admitted, standing to examine her reflection in the second mirror. She took her glasses off and squinted at her reflection.

"You're beautiful either way," Lorelai assured her. "But talk to your parents, they might be on board with it."

"Will you talk to Dad?" April asked hopefully.

"No way, contacts are out of potential step parent jurisdiction," Lorelai said. She smiled as she handed April a tube of mascara. "I am good for make up and boy talk though."

April nodded and opened the mascara. She toyed with it for a moment before she said, "You had Rory when you were really young."

"Yeah, I did," Lorelai said, swiping her eyelashes with shadow.

"So you probably knew her dad when you were my age, right?"

"We met when we were kids, we were friends for a long time," Lorelai explained. "Why do you ask?"

April was quiet for a moment before she asked, "How old were you when you got your first kiss?"

Lorelai dropped her make up and turned to April, suddenly glad that Luke was nowhere close by for this conversation. "Thirteen," she answered honestly. "Why?"

"Well…there's this boy," April said hesitantly.

"Ah, the weaker species," Lorelai confirmed. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" April asked.

"Boy talk requires a comfy couch, coffee for me, and hot chocolate for you," Lorelai said wisely. Once the hot beverages were poured and they were seated facing each other on the couch, Lorelai asked, "So what's his name?"

"Michael," April murmured.

"And does Michael have anything to do with the hour long phone call that caused you to high tail it far away from your dad last night?" Lorelai asked.

April blushed. "Maybe," she said.

"I figured," Lorelai nodded. "I have a very serious question for you."

April's eyes widened.

Lorelai leaned forward and rested a hand on April's arm. "Is he cute?" she asked in a serious tone.

A small giggled escaped April's lips. "Yeah," she said. "And…he likes me."

"It's a great feeling, isn't it?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly cool," April murmured.

Lorelai frowned. "That's not true," she said. "And besides, no one's cool when they're trying to impress someone."

"You're always cool."

"Normally, I would completely let you believe that," Lorelai said. "But under the circumstances, I'll enlighten you on my very uncool moves when I started dating a certain father of yours. They're probably the most uncool moves of all time."

"Really?" April asked in surprise.

"Really," Lorelai said. "You can ask him. I ran face first into a door that was being carried into the inn. And I also all but collapsed in the middle of the diner."

April giggled. "You collapsed?" she asked.

"Yep," Lorelai nodded. "He asked if I was okay and my knees completely betrayed me. I'm talking arms flailing, table clearing, and water flying. I'm pretty sure there's still a food stain on the ceiling if you look closely." She made the story a bit more dramatic for April's benefit, but the point remained the same.

"Wow," April said.

"But he was so nice about it," Lorelai continued. "As embarrassed as I was, he didn't make a big deal of it, just got the mop and cleaned it up." Just like he had always done with her emotions, she was now realizing. "If this Michael guy is worthy of you, he won't tease you or call you uncool. We're all idiots when we're in love."

"Thanks, Lorelai," April said. "I can't talk to my mom like this."

"I bet you could," Lorelai said. "Us moms, we like knowing these things about our kids. I think you should tell her."

April shrugged. "Maybe when I get home," she said.

"Hey, why don't I help you put some make up on?" Lorelai suggested. "Since we've got the house to ourselves we can order a pizza and experiment with new looks."

"Sure!" April said.

"Okay, you go pick out some stuff, I'll order the food," Lorelai said. "The make up is in the third drawer under my sink."

April smiled and ran up the stairs. Lorelai sighed as she looked at the ceiling. She and April had created a solid bond in the almost two weeks she'd been visiting, and she felt okay dishing out advice on things like this. She also knew that once Luke was aware of the fact that there was a boy in the picture he'd completely lose it. She'd have to figure out a way to prevent him from flying to New Mexico to threaten the poor kid in person.

After she'd ordered the pizza she joined April upstairs, smiling as she saw her sitting on the end of the bed, looking carefully at something. "Hey, you okay?" she asked.

April jumped and shoved her hands between her knees. "I wasn't snooping," she promised quickly.

"It's not snooping if I told you where the make up is," Lorelai said, eyeing her carefully. "What did you find?"

April bit her bottom lip and held her hand out, nerves in her eyes. "I didn't mean to snoop, I promise!" she insisted.

Lorelai froze when she saw a familiar navy blue box staring up at her from April's palm. How had she forgotten that she'd hidden it under all of her makeup?

"It's okay," she said, taking a seat beside April and taking the box from her hands. "I forgot it was in there."

"Why isn't it in your jewelry box or something?" April asked.

Not wanting to get into the full story and tell her that the ring had been hidden from Christopher, Lorelai shrugged. "I guess I didn't want to see it every day when your dad and I were broken up," she said, which wasn't a lie.

"But you're back together now," April said.

"We are," Lorelai nodded. She turned the box over in her hands, remembering when she'd slipped the ring off her hand and snapped the box shut before she'd driven to Hartford. She hadn't seen the actual ring since.

"So why aren't you wearing it?" April asked.

"We wanted to take our time," Lorelai shrugged. She took a deep breath and cracked the box open, smiling as the diamond twinkled back at her. Luke had done an amazing job picking out the ring, and she'd loved it from the moment she'd seen it. Part of her had expected to be sad at the sight of the ring that had represented their broken relationship. But she instead felt like she was seeing an old friend, one she hadn't realized she'd missed.

"It's so pretty," April murmured.

"For such a manly man, your dad sure can pick out jewelry," Lorelai said. "He always says Liz helps, but I think it's all him,"

"Me too," April nodded. "Can I look at it?"

"Sure," Lorelai pulled the ring out of the box and handed it to April. "Try it on."

April looked at her skeptically, but seeing how serious Lorelai was, she gently slid the ring onto her finger. It was too big, but she held her hand out carefully for inspection anyway. "Wow," she breathed.

Lorelai smiled. "Even girls interested in science can get distracted by diamonds," she commented.

"Here," April said, handing the ring back to her.

"Thanks," Lorelai said, putting it back in the box. The doorbell rang and she turned to April. "Go get the pizza? I'll just put this away. In my jewelry box."

"Sure," April nodded. She bounded down the stairs and Lorelai waited until she heard the door open before she gently slipped the ring onto her finger, tilting her head to the side as she admired it. This was where it belonged.

With a deep breath, she slid the ring off her finger and back into the box. She placed it gently in her jewelry box and turned to the stairs, slowly forming a plan in her head.

XXXXX

"Oxidize," April said proudly, arranging the letter on the Scrabble board the following night.

Luke and Lorelai stared at the board as April added her score to her total. "That puts me ahead by 61 points," she announced.

"I should have seen this coming," Lorelai muttered. "I did raise Rory, after all."

"Hopefully she'll use her knowledge for the greater good, like Rory," Luke sighed.

"It's not that hard," April shrugged.

"Not for you, you're smart," Lorelai retorted.

"So are you!" April laughed.

"Not feeling it at the moment," she sighed as she stood from the kitchen table, running a hand over the back of Luke's hat free head as she moved to the coffee maker. "Anyone need anything?"

"No, I'm good," he said with a smile.

"April?"

"No, thanks, Lorelai."

"Oh, let April take my turn!" Lorelai called as she reached to answer the ringing telephone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom!"

"Oh, my favorite daughter, how are you?" Lorelai cooed as she walked towards the living room with her coffee.

"Texas is hot," Rory announced.

"That's the word on the street," Lorelai confirmed. "Got big dinner plans?"

"Some of us our going out for drinks," Rory confirmed.

"Rory, have I taught you nothing?" Lorelai sighed dramatically. "Always carb load before a night of heavy drinking."

"Don't worry, we're stopping for tacos first."

"Good," Lorelai said.

"How's the big visit going?" Rory asked.

Lorelai craned her neck into the kitchen where she saw Luke and April laughing together. "Great, actually," she said. "I can't wait for you to meet April, really meet her. She's kicking our butts at Scrabble."

"Have you started making up words yet?" Rory asked.

"No, but hey, give me a list of smart people words!" Lorelai suggested. "Preferably words with a q, x, r, and l."

"I am not helping you cheat to beat an honest child," Rory said indignantly.

"So mean," Lorelai asked. "You should have been raised better."

"I was perfectly raised, thank you very much."

Lorelai smiled at the compliment, then glanced back into the kitchen. April was staring quizzically at the board, and Luke was watching her with an amused expression on his face. Lorelai quietly slipped out the side door and settled into a chair at the porch table.

"Mom, you there?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, sorry," Lorelai said. "Hey, I want to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Well, you know things have been going really well with Luke," Lorelai started. "I talked to Grandma and Grandpa, they've promised to mind their own business and be nice to Luke. And April is officially a solid part of our relationship, as are you."

"All very positive," Rory commented.

"So…Luke told me he wants to propose this time," Lorelai said. "But before I jump in I just want to know if you think it's a good idea."

Rory was quiet for a moment, then she asked, "Are we talking as friends or as mother and daughter right now?"

"Uh…both?" Lorelai suggested, suddenly nervous.

"Okay," Rory said. "Well, as your daughter, you have my blessing. Luke's a great guy, and he loves you. He never makes me feel like an afterthought or a way to get to you the way Dad does."

"And what does my best friend think?"

"She thinks that you're happy, which is great," Rory said. "But…there's a history there. A long history."

"Ancient history," Lorelai said. "That is guaranteed not to repeat itself."

"Okay," Rory said. "Mom, I love Luke, you know that. And I love that he makes you happy. But twice now I've seen you completely collapse over a break up with him. If it happens again, I'm not sure what it would do to you."

"Look, I know I've said this before, but we're sure this time, Rory," she murmured. "We hit rock bottom for awhile. And then some more rocks fell on top of us. But we fought through, and now we're good again. Better than we were. I really think this time if we jump, we won't fall."

"It sounds like you've already made up your mind," Rory commented.

"I know what I want," Lorelai said. "But you're still my biggest concern, Rory. I know you're grown up, but if you're not okay with Luke, you need to tell me now."

"No, Mom, I'm fine with it," she said. "He's always been the one."

"Okay," Lorelai said with a smile. "Okay."

"Just tell me yourself this time?" Rory asked.

"During the cigarette," Lorelai said slyly.

"Ew, Mom!" Rory exclaimed. "I don't want to think about that!"

Lorelai giggled and turned her head when she heard the back door open. "Hang on, hon." She lowered the phone to her chest and smiled at Luke. "Hey, is it my turn?"

"Nah, Anna called my cell, so April's talking to her," Luke said. "I just wanted to make sure everything's okay."

"Yeah, just talking to Rory," Lorelai said. She raised the phone back to her ear and said, "Want to say hi to Luke? Both of his girls left him to talk on the phone, you might make him feel special."

Rory laughed. "Sure, put him on," she said. "I'm glad you're happy, Mom."

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said. "Love you."

"Love you too," Rory said.

Luke smiled as he took the phone from her and sat down beside her. "Hey, Rory, how's it going?"

"Hi, Luke!" Rory said cheerfully. "I heard April's visit is going really well."

"Yeah, I think she's had fun," Luke agreed.

"A little birdy also told me you want to make an honest women out of my mother," Rory continued.

Luke glanced at Lorelai, who was watching him intently. "Uh, well, maybe," he cleared his throat. "How do you feel about that?"

"She loves you a lot," Rory said.

"I know."

"She says things won't get bad again."

"They won't."

Rory was quiet. "Just don't hurt her again," she said gently. "Don't push her away and don't let her pull away."

"I won't."

"Good," Rory nodded. "Then go for it. Preferably between now and Labor Day, because then I get part of the pool."

"The _what?"_ Luke demanded, and Lorelai sat up straighter in her chair.

"Uh, nothing," Rory quickly backtracked.

"Rory, what are you talking about?" Luke demanded.

"What did she say?" Lorelai asked, pulling on his arm. "Rory, what did you say?" she yelled towards the phone.

Rory cleared her throat. "Well…there may…or maybe not be, I don't really know, but there may, possibly be a pool going on around town about when you two are going to get engaged again. Bye."

She hung up before Luke could respond, leaving him staring at the phone before he jumped out of his chair. "I'm going to kill Taylor!" he stated.

"Wow, I really need to start charging you five bucks every time you say that," Lorelai commented.

"There's a pool going around town about when we're going to get engaged again!" he cried, anger building on his face.

Lorelai sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I should have known," she said. "People were minding their own business too much."

"We're moving," Luke informed her. "You're going to sell the inn, I'll sell the diner and we're moving to Kansas. Or California. Somewhere far away from this crazy town."

"Speak for yourself, I love this town," Lorelai said. "Oh, since you're proposing this time, I wonder if they'll let me in on the pool!"

"You are not getting in on it," Luke informed her.

"Why not, it could give us some good money to pay for the wedding," Lorelai replied.

"There is no wedding!" Luke exclaimed.

"Not _yet."_ Lorelai replied with a smile.

"We said we'd talk about it after April leaves," Luke replied.

"No, we said we'd talk about _babies_ after April left," Lorelai corrected.

"So what, you want to just agree we're engaged, right here, right now, no proposal or anything?" Luke asked. "Just a conversation in reaction to a stupid town that can't mind their own business?"

"No," Lorelai conceded.

"Okay," Luke said. "Then be patient."

Lorelai made a face. "I'm not good at that," she informed him.

"You're kidding."

She smiled and leaned towards him. "Can I at least tell you that I'm ready for you to ask?" she asked.

He kissed her softly and patted her hand. "Good," he said. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could have waited."

Lorelai smiled as she slid to sit sideways across his lap. She rested her hands on his chest before she asked, "It wouldn't be much different, would it? Being married?"

"Nah, just a couple rings and different labels," Luke shrugged, running his hand across her thigh slowly.

"Pretty jewelry and calling you my husband are changes I can get on board with," Lorelai murmured before she kissed him again.

XXXXX

"Okay, so you'll call me when you're on board, right?" Luke asked nervously as he looked at the security line at the airport the following morning.

"And when I find Mom," April nodded. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "Thanks for everything, Dad. I had so much fun!"

"I'm glad," he said, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "I did too."

"I really love Lorelai," she said, pulling back to smile up at him. "Thanks for letting me spend time with her."

"I'm glad you like her," Luke said. "She had fun too. She asked me to give this to you, I think it's just some stuff to read on the plane." He handed her a shopping bag.

"Teen Vogue and a Sephora catalog?" April laughed. "Well, at least it's not a pirate hat like she left for you on the boat."

Luke shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "She was on her fourth cup of coffee and rambling about make up and girl stuff and I wasn't really following," he said.

"Okay, well I have to go before I miss my plane, but thank her for me," April said, hugging him again. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, April," he said. "I'll see you at Thanksgiving."

"See you then," April said before she turned and dragged her suitcase behind her.

Luke sighed as he watched her walk through security. He knew this was his new normal, that he'd probably never be a full time dad to April, but it still didn't make it easier to watch her go back to her life in New Mexico, an entire country away from him.

When she'd disappeared behind the metal detectors he sighed and turned back to the parking lot, flipping open his phone to call Lorelai. She could always lift him out of a crabby mood, or in this case, a sad one.

"What are you wearing?"

Her sultry greeting immediately did the trick, and he shook his head. She'd known he had been bummed out about April leaving, and had probably been waiting for his call. "Nothing but a baseball cap."

"Hmm, let me see if I can get away to see that," Lorelai said with a smile.

He smiled as he slid into the truck. "I'm just leaving now," he said.

"April got off okay?" she asked, tucking her phone against her shoulder as she shuffled some papers around on the desk.

"Yeah, she's going to call when she gets on the plane," Luke said.

"When she finds Anna too, right?" Lorelai asked.

Luke smiled at her concern. "Then too," he confirmed.

"Good."

"So I was thinking I'd come pick you up, take you out to lunch if you're not busy," Luke offered. He didn't want to go to the diner today.

"Sure, I think I can squeeze you in," Lorelai said. "But hey, could you stop at home first? I left something for you on your dresser. I think you might want it."

Curious, Luke started his truck and pulled through the open parking spot in front of him. "What is it?" he asked.

"You'll know it when you see it," Lorelai said, a smile in her voice. "But hey, are you okay? I know how hard it is to see her off."

"I'm fine," he nodded. "A little down, I guess, but it's only a few months until she's back for Thanksgiving."

"It was good having her here," Lorelai offered.

"It was," Luke said. "We're good, right?"

"Better than good," Lorelai said. "Stop at home and then come by?"

"Sure," he said. "See you in a bit."

"I love you," Lorelai said, plainly and honestly.

"I love you too."

He snapped the phone shut and pressed on the gas, suddenly eager to see what Lorelai had up her sleeve. He should have known she'd have planned something to cheer him up after April left. He only hoped it wasn't some sort of time consuming scavenger hunt that she'd been known to do in the past. At the moment, all he wanted was to see her.

When he pulled up to the house, he all but sprinted inside and up the stairs. His breath caught in his throat when he saw a familiar small dark blue box sitting on his dresser and swallowed hard as he realized what Lorelai was trying to tell him. As he reached for the box, he noticed a piece of paper sitting beside it and picked it up with a laugh. "Lorelai," he muttered under his breath. "Only you."

The small paper was torn out of the newspaper, and under the Scorpio horoscope for the day, she'd scrawled a message of her own in her familiar loopy handwriting.

 _Today a woman who loves you will buy you lunch._

 _Give her a ring and she'll stay forever._


	8. Chapter 8

**I am loving all your reviews of this story. Thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

Lorelai bit on her thumbnail as she stared at Luke. He was holding her hand tightly as he led her down the dock towards his boat, and he'd seemed like his normal self since the moment he'd picked her up at the Dragonfly an hour ago. After her request that he go home, she'd assumed that he would have seen her engagement ring and immediately gone to put it back where it belonged, on her finger.

Instead, when he'd arrived at the inn, he'd simply kissed her hello, made sure she had a healthy supply of coffee, and herded her out to his truck, telling her they were spending the afternoon on the boat.

He'd barely let go of her hand as he'd driven, only releasing it to maneuver on and off of the highway and around difficult turns before he'd pick it up again. But he'd been almost silent, and she wasn't entirely sure how to read his mood.

Maybe she'd been too presumptive in leaving the ring for him when he was upset about April leaving. Maybe he hadn't even seen it. Maybe he'd changed his mind and he wasn't ready to propose.

She watched quietly as he released her hand to climb aboard his boat and then turned to her, offering his hands. She gave him a hollow smile as he helped her aboard, then gestured to the ropes tying the boat to the dock. "Want help?" she asked, knowing her role when they were leaving the marina.

"No, I was thinking we could just stay here, enjoy the sun without actually going out," Luke said.

"Oh," Lorelai nodded. "Okay."

"You hungry?" he asked, setting the cooler he'd brought on the outdoor dining table.

"A little," she lied. The knots in her stomach would probably prevent her from eating much.

"I brought sandwiches and potato salad," Luke explained. "And potato chips, because I know you like to put them on your sandwiches even though I still think that's insane. But I also know better than to question your food habits at this point in the game."

She couldn't help but stare at him. Now she was beginning to question her own sanity. Maybe she'd only _thought_ she'd put the ring and horoscope out for him this morning. There was no way he'd be acting this normal if he was planning on proposing today.

A feeling of disappointment and sadness washed over her as she slid into a seat, holding her hands in her lap as she silently watched Luke place a spread of food out in front of her. He offered her a happy smile as he did so, and she tried to match it, but she found herself growing more confused by the moment. Rarely was he so cheerful, and she found it difficult to process his good mood when she was quickly developing the urge to yell at him.

After he'd settled down beside her and they'd filled their plates, Lorelai picked at her food while Luke ate generous samplings of each food. He tried to carry on conversations, but she found it difficult to focus and responded only with one or two word answers. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought they'd fallen into some weird Twilight Zone personality switch warp.

"You didn't eat much," he observed as she began repackaging the containers of food twenty minutes later.

She shrugged, not meeting his eyes for fear of bursting into tears. "Not that hungry," she murmured.

"You feeling okay?" he asked. "You're quiet."

"Just tired," she turned to stack the items neatly into the cooler, adjusting them until they were perfect. She wanted to take her time to control her emotions so she could talk to Luke calmly and without sounding needy or accusatory. That hadn't worked too well for her in the past.

When she turned back to him, he met her gaze evenly and silently slid a small item across the table to her. She held his gaze as she reached for it, then turned to open the box. She smiled fondly when she saw her engagement ring sparkling in the afternoon sun, then turned back to Luke expectantly.

"I wanted to do it here," he explained. "Because we only have good memories here, on the boat. We've been through a lot, Lorelai, but I meant what I said that morning. Without you, my life isn't the same. It's not complete. I want you, forever."

Tears again filled her eyes, but this time she didn't fight them. "I want that too," she whispered.

Luke cleared his throat and scooted towards her, taking the ring from her and examining it closely. "I want you to know that it's _you_ I want, Lorelai," he said. "I know you, all of you, better than anyone. I want you, not the image of you I carried around for years. We've fought and made up more times than I can count, and I know all your flaws and all your perfections. I know it all, and I still want _you."_

"Luke," she whispered, feeling her heart begin to race.

"You've fought so hard for this, Lorelai," he said gently. "We've both fought so hard. Let's not waste any more time. Marry me."

She nodded as she reached out to him. "Yes," she said as she hugged him tightly. "Yes, yes, yes. A thousand times, yes."

He kissed her then, resting a hand on her cheek as he poured all of his emotion, all of his love for her, into that one kiss. "I love you," he whispered, reaching to wipe her tears away when she pulled back.

"I love you too," she told him, sliding into his lap. "I never stopped."

"Neither did I," he promised.

She smiled as she wiped her tears away, then looked down at the box that was clutched in the hand resting on her thigh. "So are you actually going to hand it over?" she asked.

He smiled and handed the box to her, taking the ring out and then slipping it onto her finger, squeezing her hand tightly.

Lorelai smiled as she held her hand out in front of her. "It's beautiful," she sighed happily.

Luke followed her gaze, resting his chin on her shoulder as she tilted her head towards his. His hand rubbed gently over her back, and he murmured, "You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," she murmured. "You better keep that horoscope. It'll give us good luck."

"Already in my wallet," he promised. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, then asked, "You want some Zima?"

Lorelai laughed in delight as she turned to look at him. "You didn't!" she exclaimed.

"Of course I did, we made a deal," he laughed.

"To drink Zima and have sex every night?" Lorelai asked, a sparkle in her eyes.

Luke shrugged. "I brought the Zima," he said.

"And you, my fiancé, are going to get very lucky tonight," she promised. "Multiple times."

"God, that sounds good," he murmured.

"Getting lucky?" Lorelai asked. "I'll make it extra good tonight."

"No, that's always good," he laughed. "Fiancé."

"It's a great word, isn't it?" Lorelai smiled as she leaned down to kiss him again.

He returned the kiss eagerly, and she shifted to face him, returning the kiss as her passion and desire rose to the surface. "Luke?" she murmured in between kisses.

"Hmm?" he murmured against her lips.

"How do you feel about skipping the Zima?" she asked.

"Very good," he promised.

Lorelai kissed him one last time before she stood and took his hand, dragging him towards the cabin. She glanced around the marina, then offered him a saucy smile as she led him down the stairs. As soon as she was concealed from the outside world she pulled her dress over her head and dropped it on the floor, her heels quickly following as she walked the short distance to the small bedroom. Luke quickly followed suit, and by the time he'd dropped his flannel on the floor she was already waiting for him on the bed, completely naked.

"You need to start wearing less clothes," she said, watching as he toed out of his boots.

He swallowed hard as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. "You're so beautiful," he said as he took in the image before him.

"And you're taking too long," she said with a pout, making her just about irresistible. "Let me help."

Luke didn't argue as she crawled towards him, making quick work of his belt and shoving his jeans down his legs. His boxers quickly followed, and as he kicked the clothing aside he saw Lorelai's eyes focus hungrily on one thing. "Lorelai," he whispered, gently pushing her back onto the bed and crawling on top of her.

She sighed contentedly as they shifted together, his lips meeting hers in a deep kiss. "Please," she whispered into his ear. "Please, Luke, I need you."

He pulled back to meet her gaze, her eyes dark with want as they met his. He gently shifted her hips beneath him and slowly eased himself into her, committing every move, feeling, and sound to memory. She let out a pleasured gasp as her body stretched to accommodate him, and he reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Lorelai," he groaned softly.

Her free hand moved to his back and he felt a spark of electricity shoot through him at the feeling of her ring resting against his skin. Encouraged by the knowledge that she was his, really his, forever, he pulled his hips back and began to thrust into her.

"Oh my god," Lorelai moaned, her back arching as her hips met his, thrust for thrust. "Oh, Luke…"

She ran her hand over his back and her ring shifted slightly, the diamond now resting against his back. The presence of the ring that had been gone for too long made him feel suddenly territorial, and he increased his pace, moaning in approval as Lorelai cried out in response. A moment later he felt her body tighten around him, and he slowed, watching her closely as her eyes fell shut and she gripped his hand tightly.

When her eyes opened, she saw the raw desire in his eyes and she gently pushed at his chest, slipping him onto his back and straddling his waist. Her hands balanced herself on his chest as she slowly began to rock her hips, watching as his expression turned from determined to pleasured. His hands found her hips and he gently guided her motions as she moved over him.

"Lorelai," he gasped. "God, you're amazing."

She smiled as she leaned over him, letting her hands trail over his chest. "Tell me," she breathed. "Tell me how you want me."

He groaned and arched his hips up to hers. "Please," he moaned. "Lorelai, _please."_

She loved that she could do this to him, make him lose himself to the point where he could only beg. Their sex had always been good and he'd never left her wanting or needing more. But she found it just as pleasurable to know that she could completely unravel him.

With a sly smile she increased the movement of her hips, watching Luke carefully as his head reared back in pleasure. She could feel his body starting to tighten, and she slowed, wanting the moment to last forever.

"Lorelai," he gasped, his eyes opening to meet hers.

She smiled down at him, her own eyes losing focus as she felt his fingers gently trace her thighs. "Oh, yes," she gasped.

With a small smirk, Luke gripped her hips and gently shifted her angle so that he was pressed against the most sensitive part of her. She gasped and then leaned back, the tightening of her body around his sending Luke over the edge with her. Their moans mixed together as she collapsed on top of him, both of them breathing heavily.

"We are so good at that," Lorelai gasped when she'd caught her breath.

Luke pressed a kiss to her forehead and shifted her to his side. "You're amazing," he murmured.

"Back at you," she said, brushing her hair out of her face.

Luke reached for her hand and twirled her ring gently around her finger. "It looks perfect," he murmured.

She smiled as she followed his gaze. "Yeah, it does," she agreed. She was quiet for a moment before she asked, "Will you wear a ring?"

Luke shrugged. "I honestly never thought about it," he replied honestly.

"You don't have to," Lorelai said, reaching for his left hand. "It's not like the vows will mean less if you don't."

"I know," he sighed. "I'll think about it."

"I don't want a big wedding," Lorelai said softly.

"You can have whatever wedding you want," Luke assured her.

"We," Lorelai said. "We can have whatever wedding we want. You're going to get a say this time, Luke, I promise."

"I want the girls there."

"Well, duh."

He sighed into her hair. "They've never even met, not really," he pointed out.

Lorelai frowned. "Is it irresponsible of us?" she asked. "To force them into being sisters without even knowing each other?"

"I think they'll be fine," Luke said, his fingers running through her hair. "They're a lot alike. And they won't ever live together full time."

"I guess," Lorelai sighed. "Do you want to call them?"

"Not now," he murmured. "Let's just enjoy it ourselves for a little bit more."

Lorelai snuggled closer into his embrace. "Sounds good to me," she sighed happily. "I don't want to wait to marry you."

"Me neither," he sighed. "We've waited long enough."

"I want to go off the pill."

Luke's hand froze in her hair, and then he asked, "Really?"

"Really," she said. "I want a baby. Your baby. And I want her now."

Luke smirked as he ran a hand tenderly over her stomach. "Well, maybe we just made her," he murmured.

She smiled, but reached to still his hand. "I'm serious, Luke," she said. "It takes a couple cycles to leave my system. I want a baby before it's too late."

"We'll get a baby," he promised. "Toss the pills."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," he promised. "I want a baby too. The thought of seeing you pregnant and then getting to hold a baby that we created…you have no idea how happy that would make me."

She smiled as she climbed on top of him again. "You do realize that this whole baby making thing could take awhile," she said.

"We've got time."

"And it will be a lot of work," she whispered, running her hands up and down his chest.

"I'm always up for a challenge."

"And it means that you're going to have to give me sex anytime, anywhere I want it," she breathed, leaning up to kiss him deeply.

Luke smiled and flipped her onto her back. "I'm more than okay with that," he said.

She leaned up to kiss him, then said, "For now let's just go with no pills, okay?" she asked. "After we're married, then we can amp up the baby making."

"Deal," Luke said, leaning down to kiss her deeply.

XXXXX

"I don't want to go home," Lorelai sighed as Luke tossed her bra towards her two hours later.

"Why not?" he asked, fastening his belt and then reaching for his t-shirt.

"Because people will be there, asking questions," Lorelai sighed. "I like that it's just you and me who know. It's romantic."

"We can't keep it a secret forever," Luke said, watching in appreciation as she walked across the cabin in her underwear to retrieve her dress.

"Why not?" she asked, her voice muffled as she pulled the dress over her head.

"Well, our daughters would never speak to us again," Luke pointed out.

Lorelai shrugged. "They can know," she said. "Speaking of…" She looked down at her phone and frowned. "What time was April supposed to land?"

Luke looked down at his watch. "Just about now," he said. "It might take her a few minutes to find Anna."

Lorelai nodded and flipped her phone open. "Let's call Rory," she requested. She put the phone on speaker as she speed dialed Rory, frowning when she heard the voicemail pick up. "Lorelai Gilmore, this is Lorelai Gilmore. Call me back, soon!" She snapped the phone closed and turned to Luke. "I hate that she's grown up."

"I know you do," he said as he led her back to the deck.

"Why couldn't she have stayed twelve forever?" Lorelai asked. "Things were so much easier when the biggest issue was whether we were going to order Chinese or pizza for dinner."

"Kids grow up," he shrugged as he picked up the cooler.

"I'm going to remind you about that comment next time you rant about April wearing make up," Lorelai said.

"She's too young."

"She's fourteen," Lorelai corrected.

He gripped her hand and helped her back onto the dock. "She doesn't need make up," he said.

"No, but it's a rite of passage," Lorelai said. "Be grateful that's the only one she's gone through yet. By the time I was fourteen I'd hit about all of them."

Luke shook his head slightly. "I can imagine," he commented.

"But I turned out okay," Lorelai looked up at him. "Right?"

"You turned out perfectly," he assured her.

She smiled as she wrapped her arm through his. "You know you don't have to keep sweet talking me," she informed him. "The ring's not coming off. Ever."

"I know," he said. "Doesn't mean I can't compliment you sometimes."

"You're a good guy, Luke Danes," she said, pausing as she opened the door to the truck. "I think I want to marry you."

Before he could respond his cell phone rang loudly and he reached for it. "Hey, April! How was your flight? Good. Yeah, she's right here. Hang on." He held the phone in front of Lorelai and asked, "How do you put this damn thing on speaker?"

Lorelai pressed a single button and leaned towards the phone. "Hi, sweetie, how was your flight?" she asked.

"Hi, Lorelai," April sounded tired. "It was good. I'm glad to be home."

Lorelai rubbed a hand over Luke's arm as she watched a slightly hurt expression cross his features. "Well, we were glad to have you at _our_ home," she said. She met Luke's expression and gestured to the phone expectantly.

"Hey, April, we have some news," he said, not breaking eye contact with Lorelai. "Lorelai and I decided to officially become engaged again."

April's squeal of delight was overwhelming even over the speakerphone, and her muffled voice came a moment later. "Sorry, Mom…hang on….Dad, that's amazing!" she returned her attention to the phone. "Lorelai, did you get your ring back?"

Lorelai smiled as she admired the ring all over again. "Sure did, and it's prettier than ever," she confirmed.

"I want to see a picture!" April cried. "Will you e-mail me some?"

"Sure," Lorelai said with a smile.

"I can't wait, this is going to be the best wedding ever!" April exclaimed. "Sorry, hang on…." Her voice became muffled again and she said, "Dad and Lorelai are engaged again…I don't know. You can ask him…Dad? Mom wants to talk to you," her voice returned a moment later.

Luke's body immediately tensed and he leaned against the side of the truck. "Sure, put her on," he sighed.

"I'll wait in the truck," Lorelai said, but he grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"No, you're part of this," he said. "You don't need to hide from her."

"Luke?" Anna's voice came over the line.

"Hey, Anna," he said wearily.

"I guess congratulations are in order," she said hesitantly.

"Thanks," Luke said.

"When's the wedding?" Anna asked.

"We don't know yet, but soon," Luke said.

"Okay, well, let me know and we can change the visitation schedule," April said formally.

"Thanks," Luke said. "Tell April I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"Sure," Anna said. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"Of course," Luke said. "Bye, Anna."

"Bye," she said shortly.

Lorelai frowned. "No offense, but I really don't get how you ever dated that woman," she said.

"She was different back then," Luke sighed. "At least she's being civil now."

"I guess," Lorelai said. "We'll make sure April's there for our wedding, Luke. I'm going to insist on it."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That," he murmured. "Is why I love you."

She smiled and climbed into the car. Once he had the truck on the way to Stars Hollow, she said, "Hey, we have to figure out who won the pool!"

He glared at her. "No, we don't," he said.

"Yes we do, because if it's Kirk, we're totally not telling anyone until it's someone we like who will win."

"We don't like anyone."

"We like Rory," Lorelai argued.

"We did until she bet on our relationship," Luke grumbled.

"Oh, please, she's always been your favorite," Lorelai sighed. "Come on, we'll announce it when she predicted and then make her give us the money!"

Luke tilted his head to the side. "Huh, taking money from those lunatics does sound tempting," he nodded.

"See, she knew you'd come around," Lorelai said. "I wish she'd call me back."

"She's got a job," Luke said sympathetically.

"Who cares about a stupid presidential election, her mother just got engaged!"

"She'll call you back when she can."

"I know," Lorelai sighed. She reached across the seat and rested her hand on his thigh, gently running her thumb over the seam in his jeans. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to tell my parents."

His grip on the steering wheel tightened, but he nodded. "You do," he agreed.

She was quiet as she stared out the windshield. "I know you hate them," she whispered.

"I'm glad things are getting better," he said. "For your sake."

"They're trying," she said. "I really think they are. I know what they've done and said when it comes to you is horrible. But…they're trying."

"And you want me to try too," he deduced.

"Not if you don't want to," Lorelai said. "I won't blame you, really, I won't. But the reality is, when we do have a baby, they're going to be the kids' grandparents."

"I can't avoid them forever," he said knowingly.

"I'm not asking you to come to dinner every week," Lorelai said quickly. "Maybe we can have them over to our house. You know, home field advantage? It's important to me."

He glanced at her and nodded. "Yeah, we can do that," he said.

"Really?" she asked.

"I'd do anything for you, Lorelai, you have to know that by now," he said.

She smiled widely. "I do," she said.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he frowned as she unbuckled her seatbelt and slid across the seat to kiss his cheek. "Buckle up!"

"Sorry," she said with an eye roll. "I just can't stop myself when it comes to you."

He offered her an affectionate smile. "Back at you."

XXXXX

"I have a problem."

Luke glanced up from tying his shoes when Lorelai appeared in front of him dressed in her bathrobe. "Is this another fashion crisis?" he asked. "Because if you ask me, you should wear the bra with the easiest clasp to undo and the flippy skirt."

She rolled her eyes. "No, caveman, that's not my problem," she said. "I have to go to work."

"And?"

" _And,"_ Lorelai waved her left hand in his face. "Sookie's going to see this."

"Don't you want Sookie to know?" he asked.

"Yes, but not before Rory," Lorelai replied. "And since we played phone tag all night last night, she still doesn't know. She made me promise I'd tell her this time."

Luke cringed, remembering how he'd been the one to spill the beans after their first engagement. "Just take the ring off until you tell Rory," he shrugged.

Lorelai gasped as if he'd just asked her to chop her finger off. "No way!" she cried, holding her left hand tightly to her chest. "It's never coming off, mister. You can't get out of this that easily."

Luke rolled his eyes as he reached for the ringing phone. "Hello? Oh, hey Rory. Yeah, she's right here."

Lorelai snatched the phone out of his hands. "Guess what!" she cried.

"You're engaged?" Rory's voice exclaimed over the phone, loud enough for Luke to hear it.

Lorelai's jaw dropped. "How could you possibly know that?" she asked.

"Kirk told me."

" _Kirk_ told you?" Lorelai asked, watching as Luke's face began to redden. "How does Kirk know?"

"Bootsy told him."

"Okay, how the hell does anyone know?" Lorelai asked. "We were very careful not to tell anyone until we told you and April!"

"Well, apparently Babette's cousin's son works at the marina," Rory reported. "He gave Babette the exclusive over East Side Tillie. There are pictures on Kirk's blog."

"Wow, we're being chased by the paparazzi," Lorelai mused. "I feel important."

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried," Lorelai said. "You're the one who never picks up your phone!"

Rory huffed. "Did you get your ring back?" she asked.

Lorelai smiled, remembering how April had asked the exact same question the day before. "Yep, it's back where it belongs," she confirmed.

"I'm really happy for you, Mom," Rory said sincerely. "I know how much you love Luke."

"I really do," Lorelai smiled. "Hey, can you send me your travel schedule? We obviously need to make sure the maid of honor isn't cruising with politicians when we choose a wedding date."

"Sure, I'll e-mail it to you," Rory said. "I have to go. Call me tonight?"

"You got it," Lorelai promised.

"Oh, and send me a picture of the ring!" Rory requested. "The pictures on the blog are way too blurry."

"I'm hanging up now," Lorelai informed her. "Babette has spies at the marina," she said to Luke, who rolled his eyes.

"So much for privacy," he muttered.

"At least we got to celebrate in private," Lorelai said, turning to the closet. "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know what to wear."

XXXXX

"Okay, the table's set, the scotch is opened, and your dirty magazines are hidden," Lorelai announced as she walked into the kitchen where Luke was leaning towards the oven. "Hmm, nice view."

"Knock it off," he said, closing the oven door and turning to look at her. "Lamb's in the oven."

"Good, they like lamb," Lorelai nodded. She looked at him closely and then smiled. "You look nice. I like that shirt."

"Thanks," he said, giving her a once over. "You look beautiful."

"Is the dress too tight?" she asked, looking down at it.

Luke's eyes were drawn to her hips. "Not at all," he licked his lips.

She giggled. "Not too tight for your fantasies, too tight for my mother's approval," she clarified.

"It's perfect," he promised. "Tonight's going to be fine. You've said it yourself, they've been better lately."

"I know, but this is the first time they've been here in a long time," Lorelai sighed, then rubbed his arm. "This is the first time you're seeing them in a long time."

"I'll be fine," he promised.

"Good, because there's no backing out now," Lorelai said with a nod.

"I'm aware."

"Okay, so we can spend a good hour talking about Rory," Lorelai said. "And our news should take a good twenty minutes at least, especially when I tell my mom I'm not going to wear a traditional dress."

He frowned. "You're not?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "It just seems silly," she said. "I'll wear white, I know that's important to you, but we want a small wedding. Wearing a fancy dress seems unnecessary."

"What about the dress you already have?" he asked. "You looked beautiful in it."

"No way," Lorelai shook her head. "I loved that dress, but that was the old us. Plus, you've seen me in it."

"You're okay wearing your ring," he said, reaching to play with the diamond.

Lorelai smiled as she watched him. "Yeah, I don't know, it's different," she said. "You're asking me to explain my thought process?"

"My mistake," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

"And don't think you're going to see the dress this time," she said. "That totally backfired."

Luke nodded and squeezed her hand. "The dress is your call," he nodded.

Lorelai smiled, and then tensed when there was a knock at the door. "Ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be," he shrugged.

"Thank you for doing this," she said sincerely.

"Go let them in," he said, nodding to the door.

Lorelai smiled as she opened the door and allowed her parents to step inside. "Hi, Mom, Hi Dad," she said. "Here, let me take your stuff."

"Hello, Lorelai," Richard said, rubbing his hands together as he looked around.

"The house looks lovely," Emily complimented.

"Oh, thanks," Lorelai said, leading them into the living room. "It's amazing what you can do five minutes before guests arrive. Scotch, Dad?"

"Actually, I think I'll change it up a bit and have a beer, if you have some," Richard requested.

"Really?" Lorelai asked in surprise.

"Oh, that sounds good," Emily nodded at her husband. "I'll have one as well."

"A _beer?"_ Lorelai asked.

"Yes, is that a problem?" Emily asked.

"No, I'm just going to have to get photographic proof for Rory," Lorelai said. "I'll be right back." She retreated into the kitchen and tapped Luke on the shoulder as she walked towards the fridge. "So they both want a beer," she reported.

"What?" he asked.

"Yeah, make sure you bring the camera in to prove that it actually happened," she requested as she poured the beers.

"I'll help you," he said, taking two glasses and following her into the living room.

"Alright, nitwit juice is served," Lorelai announced, handing a glass to her mother.

"Thank you, Lorelai," she said as she settled onto the couch. "Hello, Luke."

"Mrs. Gilmore," he nodded. "Mr. Gilmore."

"Oh, Luke, you can call us by our first names," Richard said. "No sense in backtracking."

"Okay, Richard, thanks," Luke nodded nervously as he sat down beside Lorelai, who rested a comforting hand on his knee.

"So, Luke, is that your daughter's picture on the mantel beside Rory's?" Emily asked.

Luke glanced to the spot where Lorelai had thoughtfully placed April's most recent school portrait. "Yeah, that's April," he nodded. "That was almost a year ago, she's grown a lot since then."

"And she's in New Mexico?" Emily inquired.

"Yeah, her grandmother isn't doing so well, so she and her mom are out there helping her out," Luke said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Emily sounded sincere. "It must be difficult to have her so far away."

Luke nodded. "I miss her," he nodded. "But she was just here for a couple weeks, I think she had fun."

"She totally shattered Rory's Scrabble record," Lorelai reported.

"Really?" Richard was intrigued. "Another reader in the family?"

"She likes to read, but she's mostly interested in science," Lorelai replied. "I practically had to bribe her to get her out of the summer science fair."

"Well, it's never too soon to start thinking about college," Richard announced. "I'd be happy to discuss Yale with her. If she's interested, of course."

Luke shifted and Lorelai shook her head slightly. "I think Rory would have that covered, but thanks, Dad," she dismissed the topic. "So, um, we have some news." Her parents looked at her expectantly and she felt Luke take her hand in support. "We decided to get engaged again. It's sticking this time."

Emily and Richard exchanged a glance before Emily offered them a smile. "Congratulations," she said sincerely. "I'm very happy for you."

"As am I," Richard sighed. "Although I do wish you'd taken another week to decide this. I now must host a DAR fundraiser at the house next month."

Lorelai's jaw dropped. "You made a bet?" she asked.

"Well, we knew it would happen eventually," Emily said. "It was simply a matter of when. I knew it would be sooner rather than later. Didn't I tell you that, Richard?"

"Yes, my dear, I should know by now that you're always right," Richard placated.

Lorelai turned to Luke. "We should start making major life choices after consulting everyone in our lives," she said. "Maybe we can find a way to make money off of it."

He shook his head slightly. "Or we could just start betting on everyone else," he commented.

"I like that idea," Lorelai said with a nod.

"Have you decided when the ceremony will be?" Emily asked.

"Nope, no decisions made yet," Lorelai sighed. "We need to figure out when April and Rory will both be here and go from there."

"That makes sense," Emily nodded. "I can have my dress maker send some wedding dresses over."

"We should have bet on that," Luke muttered into Lorelai's ear and she elbowed him in the stomach.

"Thanks, Mom, but I'll take care of the dress," she said. "Maybe I'll even make it."

"Lorelai!" Emily's impatient voice now sounded more familiar. "You can't _make_ your wedding dress!"

"Why not, someone's got to," Lorelai shrugged.

"Yes, a designer," Emily insisted. "This is the biggest day of your life, it needs to be done right."

Lorelai sighed. "Look, Mom, the wedding is more of a formality for us at this point," she said. "It's not going to be more important than the day Luke and I actually decided to start a life together. Or the day that Rory was born. Or the day our kids are born. We're not going to make a big deal about it."

"Your children?" Emily zeroed in on Lorelai's comment as her eyes traveled to her midsection.

"I'm not pregnant, Mom," Lorelai began to feel the familiar sense of frustration creep over her.

"Are you sure?" Emily asked.

Lorelai responded by taking Luke's beer out of his hand and drinking the remaining half in one gulp. "Proof enough for you?" she asked.

"Lorelai, there's no need to be vulgar," Emily admonished.

"I'm going to go check on dinner," Luke announced, squeezing Lorelai's knee. "Give me a hand?"

She followed him into the kitchen, whispering in his ear, "You're so getting lucky tonight."

"Just figured you could use a breather," he shrugged, peering into the oven. "I think you're right, she's trying."

"She was okay at first," Lorelai conceded. "Sorry about the baby thing. She doesn't need to know that."

He shrugged. "She probably would have found out eventually," he commented. "I'm sure Kirk's writing about it on that ridiculous website of his."

Lorelai smiled as she wrapped her arm around his neck. "Thank you, for doing this," she said.

He smiled as he placed his hands on her waist. "You said that already," he informed her.

"I'm just really grateful," she murmured, running her finger over the collar of his shirt. "I didn't want to do this myself."

"You're welcome," he assured her. "Now let go before they come in here and see you trying to feel me up."

Lorelai gave him a quick kiss before she released him and stepped back. "How much do you think it would freak them out if I told them we're tossing donuts into the crowd instead of having a cake?" she asked.

XXXXX

"All right, the Stars Hollow High marching band will continue to perform the National Anthem at football games, despite the fact that the tune is not recognizable in the manner in which they perform it," Taylor announced at a town meeting the following night.

Lorelai yawned and leaned her head against Luke's shoulder. "Want to go make out?" she whispered.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rubbed his hand over her arm. "I wanted to stay home and make out," he reminded her.

"Okay, fine, you were right," she sighed. "This is the most boring meeting ever."

"Luke, Lorelai, please," Taylor sighed from the podium. "This is a public space."

"So?" Lorelai asked, not moving her head from Luke's shoulder.

Taylor sighed and shuffled some papers around. "Well, this matter was saved for the end of the meeting, but seeing as the opportunity has presented itself, we can discuss it now," he said. "As we have all read on Kirk's blog, Luke and Lorelai are officially engaged. Again."

Luke tensed and his grip on Lorelai's arm began to tighten. "Luke, stay calm," she requested. "I'm comfortable."

"Now, we've all realized that the dynamics of this town are much better when they are together than they are apart," Taylor continued. "However, we now must discuss the possible solution to the wedding problem."

"Wedding problem?" Luke narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, there are several different venues and resources throughout the town to be used while planning your wedding," Taylor explained. "I have taken the liberty of drafting several scenarios in which every business in town receives an equal share of the revenue."

"The revenue?" Lorelai asked. "Taylor, we can plan our wedding however we want to."

"Yeah, we've been waiting for this for years!" Babette chimed in. "Don't them breaking up again!"

Kirk leaned forward in his seat and said, "I would like to offer my services as a photographer," he said. "Lorelai, if you remember in your past engagement to Max you had already hired me. Although the groom has changed, I feel that…" his voice trailed off as he saw Luke glaring at him. "Never mind." He quickly leaned back in his seat.

"Now, in the first scenario, Doose's Market will provide the refreshments for the ceremony," Taylor said, pointing to a chart he had produced seemingly from nowhere.

"How is that fair?" Bootsy called. "That means you'll get all the profits from the alcohol they purchase."

"Yeah, we all know what happens when Lorelai drinks at a wedding," Gypsy added.

"Hey, that was different!" Lorelai frowned.

"Don't be embarrassed, dear, at one of my weddings I took off my dress and played the bongos," Patty assured her.

"Don't give her any ideas," Andrew advised.

Luke let out a frustrated breath. "How much longer do we have to listen to this?" he asked her through gritted teeth.

"They're just trying to help," she shrugged. "We don't have to listen to any of it."

"I have taken the liberty of outlining several wedding scenarios for your review," Taylor continued, producing a basket of folders. "Please take one on your way out and we will be voting next week."

"Voting?" Luke jumped to his feet, effectively shoving Lorelai off his shoulder. She frowned and steadied herself before she looked up at her fiancé. "No one besides me and Lorelai will be voting on this."

"Your opinion will certainly be considered…"

"It will be the only opinion that's considered!" Luke yelled. "I'm tired of this Taylor! Every damn time we make a decision, you turn it into some ridiculous town vote! It's not anyone's business but mine and hers!"

"And our kids!" Lorelai chimed in.

He ignored her and continued his rant. "If we want your opinions, we will ask for it! We're people, Taylor, and we will not become part of this conspiracy to control the town that you've had going for years. I refuse to let this happen this time. There will be no vote, there will be no packets, and there will be no scenarios. Lorelai and I will plan the wedding that Lorelai and I want!"

Clearly bored, Patty turned to Lorelai. "Dear, would you be willing to promise all your wedding plans will come from Stars Hollow businesses?" she asked.

"Done," Lorelai nodded.

"Meeting adjourned!" Patty declared.

Lorelai collected her purse and stood to meet Luke. "See how easy that was for us girls to figure out?" she asked.

"They cannot do this," Luke informed her.

"I know," Lorelai shrugged.

"This is our wedding."

"And you want to plan it, I know," Lorelai said, steering him out of the dance studio. "You better not let that get around, Butch, or you'll ruin your reputation."

"I'm going to kill Taylor."

"I know," she placated.

"And TJ."

"TJ wasn't even there," Lorelai reminded him.

"Yeah, well, two birds, one stone," Luke ranted.

"Oh, hang on," Lorelai said, reaching into her purse for her ringing cell phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Lorelai!"

"Mom?" Lorelai frowned. "You sound…happy."

"What's wrong with being happy?" Emily asked.

"Well, usually you sound disappointed, angry, or frustrated when addressing me, so I'm a little thrown for a loop," Lorelai replied. "What's up?"

"I have excellent news," Emily reported. "I reserved the Rose room at the country club!"

"Okay," Lorelai said without emotion.

"Lorelai!"

"There's the frustration," Lorelai commented.

"You could show a little enthusiasm here," Emily informed her.

"Okay, so you got the Rose room," Lorelai repeated blankly. "Is it for a fundraiser for breeding roses without thorns?"

"Of course not, it's for your wedding."

"What?" Lorelai froze, and Luke turned to look at her.

"Your wedding," Emily repeated. "To Luke."

"Yes, I'm aware of who I'm marrying," Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"All I need from you is a date," Emily stated. "They have every weekend in September open."

"September's a week away, Mom."

"September 2009, Lorelai."

"2009?" Lorelai repeated and Luke's eyes widened. "That's two years away!"

"Well, these things take time," Emily explained.

Lorelai pressed her hand to her forehead. "We're not waiting two years to get married," she said.

"You have to!"

"Uh, no, we don't," Lorelai said.

"Well, you need a decent venue," Emily replied.

"We have a venue," Lorelai replied. "We want to get married at the Dragonfly." That much they had discussed.

"Lorelai, you can't get married at your place of business," Emily sighed.

"We have weddings there almost every weekend, Mom."

"And you can't have your own wedding there," Emily said. "You'll get distracted."

"Well, I think I'll be able to tear myself away from the front desk for long enough to get married," Lorelai said.

She could practically hear her mother roll her eyes. "We will discuss this on Friday," she announced before she hung up.

Lorelai snapped her phone shut and threw it into her purse. "I bet that eloping idea is looking pretty good to you right now," she said as they resumed their walk.

"We could do it, you know," he said, reaching for her hand.

She turned to look at him in surprise. "What, elope?" she asked.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I mean, obviously we'd wait for the girls, but then we can just…do it."

"You told me you couldn't," Lorelai argued.

"That was different," Luke insisted. " _We_ were different."

"I know." She was quiet for a few minutes before she said, "I don't want a fancy wedding."

"Me neither."

"But I think…I want something," she murmured. "I was so desperate that night, but now that we're better and I'm thinking clearly, I want something. Small. At the Dragonfly. Soon."

"That sounds perfect."

"Thank you," she sighed. "Hey, what do you think would happen if we locked my mom and Taylor alone in a room with his wedding scenarios and see who comes out alive?"

Luke scoffed. "My money would be on your mother," he replied. "Taylor would start yammering about equal revenue and the town economy and she'd kill him before they even got to a single detail."

Lorelai sighed. "Why do we tell these people anything?" she asked.

"You got me." Luke stopped in his tracks suddenly, and she turned to look at him curiously.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, gesturing to a house in front of them. "This, uh…this is the house where I grew up."

"Really?" Lorelai turned to look at the blue house that stood on the corner of the small side street they'd turned onto. "I had no idea."

"It was a long time ago," he shrugged.

"Doesn't matter, I'm sure you have great memories of the place," Lorelai said. She'd walked by the house thousands of times before, but she'd never stopped to look at it.

"Yeah, that's the tree I smashed into when I broke my arm," Luke pointed out.

"Okay, so maybe not all of them are good," she said. "Which room was yours?"

"It was in the back," Luke shrugged. "That window was Liz's."

Lorelai followed the direction in which he was pointing and nodded. "Well, she had the trellis to climb down," she nodded. "Personally I preferred a tree."

Luke shook his head, but she could see something written on his face that she couldn't quite place in the darkness of the evening. She looked at the yard and saw toys littering the grass. "It looks like another family is making good memories here," she said softly.

"I guess," Luke nodded. "Let's go home."

Lorelai nodded and took his hand as they continued down the sidewalk.

"I hate getting sensitive," he said suddenly.

"I know," she said. She took a few steps before she said, "It's just me, Luke. You know you can say anything to me."

"I know," he said as they approached their house. "I wish they were here. To meet April and you and Rory. To see us get married."

"I wish they were too," Lorelai murmured. "I hate that you miss them so much."

"For a long time I didn't let myself think about them," he said, sitting down on the porch steps and pulling her to sit beside him. "But now that I have my own family, I don't know, it's like I can't stop thinking about what they would be doing if they were here."

Lorelai nudged his shoulder with hers. "What would they be doing?" she asked.

"Well, my dad would be following Rory's motions across the country religiously," he said. "For a small town guy, he was pretty interested in politics. And my mom would have been teaching April all the family recipes and swearing her to secrecy."

"What would they be doing for us?" Lorelai asked gently.

Luke shrugged. "Well, my dad would probably be asking you why you're settling for someone like me," he said. "And my mom…she'd be collecting every movie about weddings ever filmed to watch with you and combine all your favorite parts to help you make your dream wedding."

Lorelai laced her fingers through his. "I'd tell your dad that I'm not settling," she said. "And that I'm marrying you because I love you. I'd tell your mom that we'd need plenty of pizza and red vines before we watched any of those movies. And I'd thank both of them for raising you to be the kind of man you are." She watched as Luke ducked his head slightly, embarrassed at her words. "Hey, what would they do for you?" she asked.

"Dad would be telling me not to mess things up," Luke said. "He'd probably have some sort of project he'd want to work on, the boat or a bookshelf or something, and while we worked he'd tell me about how lucky I am to have you and how I need to make sure to make you happy. And my mom…I don't know, she'd probably ask me to help her with a new recipe and while we were cooking she'd have some sort of lecture about making sure I understand how important it is to tell you how happy you make me."

Lorelai smiled softly. "They sound really wise," she commented.

"It's probably just my ideal version of them," Luke shrugged. He rested his hand on her thigh and traced a finger over her knee. "I know it's not real."

"I think it is," Lorelai said. "I think they'd both be really proud of you. How could they not be? You're a great father, even to Rory, who's not yours. You run a successful business and as much as you complain, you'd do anything for this town. You've always been there for Liz, and, in my very unbiased opinion, your best quality is how you'd do anything for the people you love. I know you're going to be an amazing husband."

"I don't deserve you, you know that?" he murmured.

"Well, I disagree," Lorelai countered. "I think you deserve the best. And we all know that I am the best girl in the world."

Luke shook his head as he looked at her. "Thanks," he said.

"Hey, that's what a wife does, right?" Lorelai asked. "Just practicing."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You kept the chuppah I made you," he observed after a moment.

Lorelai's gaze traveled to the archway that stood beside the garage. Years ago, she and Luke had been sitting in this very spot when they'd discussed the idea of marriage and she'd realized she couldn't marry Max. "I couldn't give it up," she murmured.

"But you could get rid of half your closet?" he asked.

"Clothes can be replaced," Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know, consider it my version of the horoscope. It means too much."

"Does it remind you of him?" Luke asked.

"Who, Max?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," Luke shrugged. "You were going to marry him under it."

"I know that's what you thought," Lorelai said. "But actually, after our talk when you dropped the chuppah off, I realized I couldn't marry him. The things you said, about marrying someone who didn't want to change you, it really got me thinking. Max was…he wasn't a bad guy, but he tried to hard, I guess. Rory was still living here and he kept tossing all these parenting scenarios on me."

"I'm glad you didn't marry him," Luke murmured.

"Hmm," Lorelai sighed. "You know, he proposed in the middle of a fight about you."

Luke pulled back to look at her. "What?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Lorelai smiled softly and shook her head. How had she been so clueless as to what Luke felt for her all those years ago? "Yeah, he um, came to pick me up and you were over because you'd left Bert here, do you remember?"

"Kind of," Luke searched into the depths of his memory.

"Well, the two of you kept going back and forth, you telling him that you fix things around the house and him telling you not to expect me at the diner until later than usual," Lorelai said. "And then you left and he asked me if I was over you yet."

"Over me?" Luke repeated.

"Yes, apparently we gave off some sort of sexual tension vibe," Lorelai said. "And he and I were fighting about it, I said nothing had happened, he said there was something between you and me, I said we should break up and he said he wanted to get married."

"Wow," Luke murmured.

"And I just…I don't know, freaked out and rambled something about it not being a good enough proposal, so he sent daises to the inn," Lorelai shrugged. "And it was just convenient, I guess. I liked feeling wanted. But then at my bachelorette party, my mom started rambling about how before she and my dad got married she used to sneak out of bed and try on her wedding dress, imagining his face when he saw her. I realized I'd never thought of that, not once. I tried my dress on at the store, made sure it fit, and then never thought about it again." She left out the part about calling Christopher. In hindsight, she should have been calling Luke that night.

"You tried our dress on," Luke said gently.

Lorelai smiled sadly. "Almost every day," she said. "Even after you saw it, I loved how you looked at me. Like I was…"

"Perfect," Luke recalled. "You were. You _are."_

"Even after…" Lorelai took a moment to collect herself as she searched for the strength to dust off the horrible memories of that point in her life. "Even after you postponed the wedding and stopped staying over, I still tried it on. I'd put the veil on and just stare at myself in the mirror, hoping that someday you'd look at me that way again."

He sighed deeply. "I was an idiot."

"Well, we're here, and you're looking at me that way again, so I guess I got what I wanted, even if it is two years later."

"Promise to tell me if I ever stop looking at you like that?" he asked.

"Promise you won't let me pull away?" she asked.

"Deal," he held his hand out to her and she shook it.

She leaned into him as she turned to look at the chuppah. "I still can't believe you made it for me," she murmured.

"Well, I didn't want to get you a blender or something stupid like that," he said dismissively.

"Did you know then?" she asked curiously. "I mean, you were carrying that horoscope around. Did you know how you felt about me?"

Luke sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I don't think I consciously knew," he murmured. "I know that…I didn't think Max fit into your life the way he should have. Maybe I was jealous, I don't know. But I wanted you have something special. You deserved something special."

"I loved it," Lorelai murmured. "The fact that you spent hours making that chuppah for me, I'm sure it was a lot of work. You made every detail so perfect without even thinking twice. And Max…he couldn't even choose a ring without Rory's help. He had to ask about every little thing, and when you brought it over I realized how well you knew me and how little he did. I realized then that I didn't love him, I couldn't marry him, and I dragged Rory out of town."

"That, I remember," he said.

Lorelai giggled. "I made Sookie tell you because I was too chicken to," she said. "She said you gave everyone free coffee that day."

"What can I say, I was glad I wasn't going to have to see him spend an hour reading the menu every morning," Luke rolled his eyes.

She elbowed him slightly, but couldn't help smiling. "He never would have made it with us," she admitted. She was quiet for a moment before she said, "When Anna called last week, and we talked, she said something that kind of bugged me."

"I thought you said she was nice," he said. "Or…nicer."

"She was," Lorelai said. "I don't think she was trying to be manipulative, but we were talking about how you're such a great dad and a good guy, and she said she wished she'd realized it when she got pregnant. She said things might have worked out between the two of you."

Luke didn't say anything, but his fingers continued to stroke her arm.

"You would have married, her wouldn't you?" she asked. "If she'd come to you and told you she was pregnant?"

"I don't know, maybe," he said honestly. "But I was still pretty young, and we'd already broken up. It's hard to say what I would have done."

"But you would have proposed," she said flatly. "I know you, Luke, if she'd come to you with that you would have tried to take responsibility."

"I would have been there for April growing up," Luke admitted. "I don't know, I guess I probably would have at least proposed."

"You would have been married to her this whole time," Lorelai whispered. "We wouldn't be sitting here right now."

"It's a moot point," he murmured. "We are sitting here, isn't that what matters?"

"I guess," Lorelai said. "Maybe I felt threatened, I don't know."

"She has no chance with me anymore," Luke said firmly. "Look at everything she's thrown at me in the past two years. Even if you and I hadn't made it, there's no way I'd be interested in starting things with her again."

Lorelai winced. "Yeah, I seriously don't get what you saw in her," she said honestly.

"Let's not go there," Luke murmured. It was a nice moment and he didn't want to start in on Christopher at the moment.

"Right, okay, can't judge," Lorelai said, clearly understanding.

"I guess at our age it's easy to look back and see where our lives could have gone," Luke said. "I could have married Anna, you could have stayed in Hartford. There are probably thousands of moments where we could have done one thing differently and changed things forever."

"I guess," Lorelai sighed. "My mom thinks we need to wait two years to get married."

"No way in hell," Luke said.

"That's what I told her," Lorelai smiled. "I said it's really just a formality at this point. We've already promised everything to each other."

"We have," he agreed.

"But I do want to see you in tails and a top hat," Lorelai smirked.

"Uh, no," he said. "That's a deal breaker."

"Kidding," she giggled. "Wear whatever you want. Hell, don't wear anything. That is my favorite look for you."

"Again no," Luke said.

"Fine, we can have a real celebration once we're alone," Lorelai said. "We need to figure out April's Christmas schedule."

"I know," he said, by now accustomed to her random thought process. "It will be here before we know it."

"Yes, and she gets to experience a patented Lorelai Gilmore Christmas," Lorelai said. "Last year Christmas was canceled because Rory was in London."

"I remember," he tensed slightly.

"So we'll go all out this year," Lorelai promised. "And hey, I have two of your birthdays to celebrate this year. Technically three, since two years ago I was a mess because of Rory's visit to Hartford."

"You were sad," he stated.

"Not because of you," she replied. "You're the only thing that kept me standing during those months."

"I'm glad," he sighed.

"We should go out on the boat one more time before it gets cold again," Lorelai suggested.

"We can do that," he agreed. "Sail up to the Cape or something."

"That would be so fun!" Lorelai said.

"I'll see about arranging staff for the diner," he promised.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each basking in the normalcy of the moment. They were finally able to discuss the past without animosity or tension, and it felt good to just sit and talk. Lorelai realized that they'd rarely done this before, and she loved that this newer, better version of them could just enjoy a quiet, normal evening together.

Too soon, Lorelai groaned when she heard the phone ring from inside the house. "Ignore it," she pleaded as Luke pressed a kiss to the top of her head and tried to untangle himself from her embrace.

"It could be one of the girls," he replied.

"But I'm so comfortable," she sighed as he stood.

He was already halfway to the door by the time she'd managed to stand, and she heard him pick up just before the machine clicked on. After he didn't appear she assumed the phone call was for him, and she turned back to look at the chuppah. It had been ages since she'd actually looked at it, and she wandered over, running her hand over the smooth wood. She stood underneath it as she had with Luke years ago, examining his work and the care he'd taken to make it perfect for her.

She hadn't had the heart to tell him that the only reason the chuppah was still there as because she hadn't known how to get rid of it. It had stood in her yard as a painful reminder of what could have been, through the worst year of her life. Christopher had had no idea what a strong reminder of Luke stood in the front yard, and maybe part of her had wanted to keep it that way. If she'd told him it had been made by Luke, he probably would have destroyed it with his bare hands. Now, though, she was glad the chuppah had survived her year without Luke.

"Hey," his voice came into her ear and she turned to look at him.

"Hi," she said, smiling softly. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, April was calling to inform me that her next experiment has to do with a comparison of which flowers will last the longest in a wedding bouquet," he said. "It seems as though everyone knows what's best for this wedding."

Lorelai smiled softly. "That's sweet," she said. "She's allowed to care. And Rory. No one else."

"No one else," he agreed, then ran a hand over one of the legs of the chuppah. "It's held up pretty well."

"You did an amazing job," Lorelai smiled. "We should use it."

"What?" he asked.

"Well, you made it for me to get married under, right?" she asked. "So when I get married I want to be standing under it."

"I made it for you and Max," he said.

"Oh," Lorelai said. She hadn't thought of that. "I guess that would be weird."

"I never imagined," he sighed. "That it would be you and me. I never thought you'd see me that way."

"Well, I do," she said. "It took me awhile, and I got lost for a bit, but I see you now."

"I know," he said, looking over it carefully.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, stepping closer to him.

"I'm trying to find it," he murmured. "There. Look."

She followed his finger and smiled softly. "You carved my name into it," she said softly. "I can't believe I never noticed it."

"It wasn't made to be noticed," he shrugged.

"Did you put Max's name on here too?" she asked.

"No," Luke almost laughed. "He didn't deserve it. I did put Rory's name over here though."

She followed him to the post closer to her and smiled when she saw Rory's name carved beside a rose. "That's so sweet," she murmured. "Hey, there are two unnamed posts."

"So?" Luke asked.

"So," Lorelai said emphatically. "One for Luke and one for April. It'll be like a family chuppah."

He smiled and nodded. "I can do that," he said.

"Here," she took his hand and stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder as they faced the yard. "Practice."

Luke glanced down at her as she stood at his side, her smiling face framed by the golden arches of the chuppah. For a flash, he could see her in a white dress, smiling back at him in the light of day, and he knew without a doubt that it was right. "It's perfect," he said.

"Good," she smiled. "As soon as we can get the girls' schedules coordinated we'll figure out a date."

"I can't wait," he said.

"Me neither," she said. "We're going to be the hottest newlyweds Stars Hollow has ever seen."

"Certainly the most anticipated," Luke sighed as he led her back to the house.

"I suppose so," Lorelai considered. "Hey, do you think they'll give us a trophy?"

"For what, bumpiest and longest road to marriage?" Luke asked.

"Sure," Lorelai said. "Might as well get something shiny and pretty out of it."

"I'll let you present that to Taylor," Luke said. "Make sure I'm far away."

"Okay," Lorelai said as she shut the door behind her. "Hey, Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy."

He smiled as he pulled her into his arms. "Me too, beautiful girl."

Lorelai beamed up at him. "Your sweet talk is a total turn on," she informed him.

With that, he leaned down to kiss her deeply before she dragged him to the stairs.


	9. Chapter 9

**I have to send a HUGE thank you out to all of your kind reviews. I am so glad that you are all still enjoying this story! It's back to school for me this week, which means I have to focus on teaching kids to write instead of writing myself, but there's still a lot more to tell in this story, so don't give up on it yet!**

* * *

Lorelai smiled as she carried two beers across the bar, setting one down in front of Luke before she slid into the seat beside him. "Happy birthday," she said, tapping her glass against his before taking a sip.

"Thank you," he said with a nod, sipping at his own beer.

"So, how has your day been?" Lorelai asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"Well, aside from being woken up in the middle of the night, pretty good," Luke consented.

Lorelai frowned. "I had to wish you a happy birthday at the exact moment you were born," she replied. "If you didn't like it, you shouldn't have been born at 1:12 in the morning."

"So it's my fault," Luke stated.

She shrugged. "You know, most men wouldn't complain about being woken up by a beautiful woman," she informed him. "Especially after what happened around 1:20."

"Okay, I take it back," Luke conceded. "You can wake me up in the middle of the night any time if _that_ is included."

She giggled. "Nope, that's reserved for special occasions," she said. "But hey, get a few more of these in me and we can have a repeat performance."

"Drink mine," Luke held his glass out to her.

She laughed and pushed his hand away. "Take your time, Cool Hand, we're celebrating," she said.

"I hate birthdays," he reminded her.

"I know, but I'm going to celebrate anyways," Lorelai said. "Because if you hadn't been born I'd be a bored lonely spinster, and that would be tragic."

He sighed as he took a sip of beer and looked at her carefully. "It would be," he nodded. "Especially since I am very familiar with your…not spinster talents."

She blushed and looked down at her beer. "Only for you," she shrugged.

"I know."

They were quiet for a moment before Lorelai said, "Would you have picked me up in a bar? If we'd spotted each other from across the room way back when?"

"That was never really my thing," Luke shrugged.

"Really?" Lorelai asked.

"No," Luke shook his head. "Why, were you into strangers at the bar?"

"Well, Rory made the who bar thing a little tricky," Lorelai said. "I had fun, but it was mostly with friends, and I always knew I had to get home to her."

Luke looked at her carefully before he said, "I think I would have made an exception for you."

Her eyes began to sparkle. "An exception, huh?" she asked.

He took a long sip of his beer. "It would have been stupid of me not to," he said honestly.

Lorelai stared at him before she finished her beer and stood. "So do it now," she said.

"What?" he narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm just going to go powder my nose," she said, leaning down to him. "And while I'm doing that…if you see a girl at the bar you simply cannot resist, I'll give you permission to talk to her."

Luke frowned for a moment before realization swept over him. "Okay," he said. "Maybe I will."

"Good," Lorelai breathed into his ear before she sauntered back to the bar, swinging her hips a little more than usual for his viewing pleasure.

Luke swallowed hard as he watched her, feeling the alcohol he'd consumed at dinner and just now beginning to catch up with him. Normally he didn't allow himself to get sucked into Lorelai's schemes, but there was something intriguing about this one. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was how alluring she looked as she leaned over the bar to order another drink, or maybe he was starting to let her craziness rub off on him. Whatever the reason, he knew that he wanted to have her soon.

With one last tip of his head, he finished his beer and made his way to the bar where she was sipping at another drink, looking around the bar and pointedly ignoring him as he approached. He pushed his way through the crowd to stand beside her and ordered another beer, doing his best to ignore the heat he could feel radiating from her body.

After he'd received his beer and took a sip, he glanced casually at Lorelai and commented, "Busy night, huh?"

Lorelai glanced at him, clearly not impressed. "Sure," she said.

"You come here a lot?" he asked, trying to figure out her strategy.

She shrugged. "I was here to sing karaoke once," she commented.

He narrowed his eyes, knowing that she was playing dirty, and decided to even the playing field. Taking a sip of beer, he nodded towards her left hand. "You here with someone?" he asked.

A sparkle started to form in Lorelai's eyes and she sighed dramatically. "Nope, I'm here all by my lonesome," she said, angling her body towards him.

"Well, that's a shame," he murmured, edging closer to her.

"And why would that be?" she asked, meeting his gaze evenly.

"To start, you're much too beautiful to be standing at the bar by yourself," Luke said, his voice low. "Someone might try to take advantage of you."

"So do you plan to do anything about that?" she asked evenly.

He ducked his head down to hers and whispered, "Come sit with me and I'll let you know."

Surprise and delight registered across Lorelai's face before she cleared her throat. "How do I know you won't take advantage of me?" she asked.

Luke took a sip of beer and leaned back slightly. "You don't," he said huskily before he brushed a hand over her arm and turned towards an empty table in the corner.

He could feel Lorelai's gaze on him as he walked, and it took everything in him not to turn and look at her. As he slid into a seat at the table, he glanced around the bar, purposely trying to avoid looking at her to keep up the pretense of mystery.

"So," she said, sliding into the seat beside him. "Would it be taking advantage if I wanted it to happen?"

Luke raised his eyebrows and took a sip of his beer. "That's awfully presumptive," he told her. "I'm just a guy, here to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Lorelai asked curiously. She scooted closer until her face was inches from his. "And what are we celebrating?"

He leaned closer and murmured, "It just happens to be my birthday."

"Well, you're the birthday boy, are you?" Lorelai breathed, her breath hot in his ear. "I happen to known an excellent way to celebrate birthdays."

He nearly choked on his beer when he felt Lorelai's hand on his thigh, her thumb rubbing gently over the seam of his jeans. "I'm listening," he murmured.

"Well," Lorelai sighed deeply. "It's a little hard. And long."

Luke swallowed hard as he felt himself fighting for control. His head was starting to cloud, a mixture of Lorelai and alcohol, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep up this game they were playing.

"We could go back to my place," she breathed, sliding her hand north. Her breathing was becoming quicker, and when he glanced at her he could see her flushed face. She was just as turned on as he was.

With a final gulp, Luke drained the last of his beer and turned to her. "Lead the way."

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes a dark stormy blue, and he suddenly wondered how they would even make it back to the house without giving into their desires.

Fifteen minutes later they stumbled through the front door in a mix of tangled limbs, each fighting for control of the situation. As Lorelai shoved his jacket over his shoulders Luke pushed her against the closed door, his lips pressing hot kisses to her neck. "You have no idea what you do to me," he murmured against her skin.

Lorelai gasped, then pulled her face back up to his, kissing him deeply. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pushed him forward with her body, pressing him against the railing of the stairs. "Oh god," she breathed as she broke the kiss and leaned her head back slightly. "Luke…"

Knowing they weren't going to make it upstairs, Luke tugged the zipper of her dress down and pushed the material over her body without abandon. She in turn took a handful of flannel and frowned down at the buttons. "I keep telling you to stop wearing these," she said breathlessly. "They take way too long to get off."

He smirked down at her. "Then get to work," he shot back.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows and turned away from him, walking towards the couch. She stripped off her bra as she did so, her panties quickly following. As she lay down on the couch, she met his gaze evenly and murmured huskily, "Ask and you shall receive."

Luke's eyes widened as he watched her hook one leg over the back of the couch, planting her other foot firmly on the floor and exposing herself completely to him. She trailed a finger over her stomach before she ran it over her folds gently. "Lorelai," he moaned.

She propped herself up on her elbows. "You told me to get to work," she said. "And you're refusing to take off your clothes. So I'm just going to have to do this myself."

Luke could feel his knees starting to buckle as he watched her settle back on the couch, her fingers dipping into her wetness as she let out a soft sigh. "Hmmm…"

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his hands shaking as they began to undo the buttons of his shirt.

"You," Lorelai said, her hips rocking slightly. "And your fingers. How good it feels when you touch me…how wet you make me."

The temperature had risen a hundred degrees in the living room, Luke was convinced, as he tossed his shirt on the ground and let his hat fall beside it.

"Luke," her gasp came from the couch and he quickly kicked out of his shoes as he watched her body begin to flush. "Oh my god…"

He kicked his jeans and boxers aside before he knelt on the floor beside her. He pushed her fingers away and murmured, "Allow me," before he buried his face between her thighs.

"Oh my _god,_ Luke!" Lorelai cried, her hands immediately moving to hold his head in place. She fell quickly over the edge and he rubbed her thighs encouragingly as his tongue lapped at her. "Oh, wow," she breathed as she relaxed, pushing her hair out of her face. She watched as he kissed his way up her body until he was lying on top of her, his hands lacing through hers. "Pretty pleased with yourself there, huh?"

He groaned as he rubbed himself against her. "You have no idea," he murmured. "No idea what you do to me."

She hooked her leg around his waist and arched her hips up to his. "I think I do," she replied. "God, Luke, I want you so bad."

"I want you too," he breathed, raising his head to meet her eyes.

"So take me."

He thrust into her deeply then, one hand untangling with hers to grip her thigh. She met him thrust for thrust, and he felt his head start to spin as she called out his name. With a final powerful thrust, he let himself go, moaning as he felt Lorelai squeeze his hand tightly.

"Oh my god," he whispered against the bare skin of her shoulder when he had regained his ability to think minutes later.

She pressed a kiss to his forehead and ran a hand over his hair. "I'll second that," she murmured. "That was so hot."

He lifted his head to look down at her, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I know it got a little more…intense than usual."

"Since when have I ever minded intense?" she asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.

"Never, I just wanted to make sure," he murmured.

"It was amazing," Lorelai confirmed. " _You're_ amazing."

"We're amazing," he amended.

She smiled softly at him. "Yeah, I think that's it," she said. She sighed and pulled a blanket down over them. Running a hand over his back she whispered, "For a guy who's never picked up a girl at the bar, you were pretty successful."

He laughed as he ran a hand over her side. "It had everything to do with the girl," he replied. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled. "What do you think? Was it a good birthday?"

"The best," he said confidently.

"Good," Lorelai said happily. "We should go upstairs."

He sighed and leaned down to rest his forehead against her shoulder. "I don't want to move," he murmured.

"I'm getting sleepy," she admitted, squeezing his arm gently.

"I know," he said. With a final kiss to her shoulder he stood and reached for his boxers.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she started up the stairs, the blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

"Getting dressed?" he suggested.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow and let the blanket fall open slightly. "Who said anything about getting dressed?" she asked.

"You just said you were tired," he reminded her.

"Well, I was going to suggest a shower before bed, but if you're going to get dressed…" her thoughts were cut off with a squeal of delight as Luke grabbed her by the waist and tossed her over his shoulder, climbing the stairs two at a time.

XXXXX

"Hey, sleeping beauty, you finally made it out of bed!"

Luke shot Lorelai a glare as he walked into the kitchen a week later. "Don't call me that," he said.

"Sorry, it's just so unusual that _I'm_ the one who's up and ready to go first," Lorelai shrugged.

He sighed and turned the tea kettle on before he turned to look at her. "Well some of us had to take the dog out in the middle of the night when he wouldn't stop barking," he said, looking pointedly at her.

She smiled sweetly and tilted her head to the side. "You wouldn't have wanted a lady to be out all alone in the cold night air, now would you?" she asked.

"A lady, no," he said. "You? Should take care of your own dog."

"I'd be hurt if I thought you meant that," she said, standing and handing him the phone. "Your daughter called."

He frowned as he looked at the clock. "Already?" he asked. "It's five thirty in New Mexico."

She shrugged. "Well, apparently she's her father's daughter," she said. "There wasn't anything wrong, I think she had a question about Thanksgiving."

"Okay, I'll call her," he said, pouring some hot water into a mug and dropping a tea bag into it. "You hungry?"

"Nope, I cleaned out the Pop Tart stash while you were getting your beauty rest," she replied. "Give April a call, maybe we can coordinate her flight with Rory's so we only have to make one airport run."

He brushed a hand over her shoulder as he walked past her into the living room, the phone already held up to his ear.

Lorelai shook her head as she sat down at the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee. She was reading over Rory's most recent article when he appeared in the doorway, a quizzical expression on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He cleared his throat and sat down at the table. "April was wondering if Rory would give her a tour of Chilton when they're here for Thanksgiving," he reported.

Lorelai sat back in her seat as she stared at him. _"Really?"_ she asked in surprise.

"Well, I guess she's not appropriately challenged at her school out there and all the good prep schools are in the northeast," Luke said. "And I guess some friends of hers that she met over the summer are thinking about Chilton, so she figured she'd check it out while she was here."

"Wow," Lorelai said with an impressed nod. "You know, I think she'd do really well at Chilton. Rory loved it."

"I know she did," Luke nodded. "It's not by any means a done deal. We'd have to talk to Anna and figure out custody, which is probably easier said than done."

Lorelai shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "You'd like having her here," she commented.

"I would, if it was what she really wanted," he admitted.

"I'll bring it up with Rory when I talk to her," Lorelai smiled. "We should probably consider ourselves lucky. It seems as though there's a bit of sibling worship going on there rather than rivalry."

"I guess we are," Luke nodded. "You'd be okay with it? If April came to stay?"

"Sure, I need another girl around here," Lorelai nodded.

He nodded and squeezed her hand. "Thanks," he said.

"She's your daughter, Luke, there's no need to thank me," she replied. "She'd totally be on board with Rory's town meeting analysis system."

He rolled his eyes and stood, heading for the fridge.

"Oh, look an e-mail from Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed as she clicked around on her computer.

"Yeah?" Luke asked as he bit into an apple. "Anything exciting to report?"

"Um…she's in Florida for now…humidity is the devil's work…she'll be here the night before Thanksgiving…oh, she sent her dates for Christmas!"

"When will she be here?" he asked, leaning over her shoulder to read the message.

"The 24th-31," Lorelai said, tapping his arm excitedly. "That's a full week!"

Luke smiled and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I know that will make you happy," he murmured.

"So happy," Lorelai leaned back into him. "They'll both be here for Thanksgiving, but Rory has to leave on Friday, it will be so quick. Christmas will be nice, a real holiday with our girls."

He rubbed her arm gently. "That does sound nice," he agreed.

She rested her head against his arm for a moment before she slowly turned to him. "Let's do it then," she suggested, her eyes dancing with hope.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Get married," she said, her gaze reading his expectantly.

Luke stood straighter and looked down at her for a moment. "What?" he asked.

"Let's get married, over Christmas," Lorelai said. "Think about it, it will be so perfect! The girls will be here, everything will be decorated so beautifully, and it would be such a romantic anniversary. We don't want to wait, and this is perfect! Please, Luke, let's do it!"

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his neck. "Can we plan a wedding in less than two months?" he asked.

"Yes, I know we can," Lorelai said. "It's not going to be a huge society thing, just us and our family."

"You really want this," he observed, looking down at her with a fond smile.

"I do," she said, but suddenly uncertainly washed over her face. "Unless you don't. I know I promised I'd include you."

"I want it," he said quickly. "Let's do it."

Joy lit up Lorelai's face. "Really?" she asked. "You really want to do it?"

He smiled and pulled her out of her chair. "Lorelai, I'd marry you right now," he murmured, brushing her hair out of her forehead. "If you're sure you can plan it with so little time, we'll do it."

She squealed and threw herself into his arms. "It's going to be so perfect!" she cried. "Oh, I hope it snows!"

He shook his head slightly as he pulled back to look at her. "A Christmas wedding," he murmured.

She smiled as she cupped his face in her hands, kissing him deeply. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too," he laughed, squeezing her waist.

"Let's set an actual date," she said, bounding for the desk and picking up the calendar. "We don't want Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. Probably not the day after, either. How about the 29th?"

"December 29th," Luke tested the date on his tongue. He looked down at Lorelai who was smiling back at him, eagerly waiting his response. "That sounds perfect."

She smiled happily and stepped closer to him again. "I'm so excited!" she exclaimed. "We have a date!"

"We have a date," he said, nodding to the calendar in her hands. "Want to make sure there's room at the inn?"

Lorelai shrugged as she reached for the phone. "We could always get married in the stable if there's not," she shrugged as she dialed. "Hi, Michel, it's me…Lorelai, the woman who pays you…listen, I need you to check if there's anything going on on December 29th…because I do…okay, put a hold on the empty rooms for that night, they don't need a card…oh, and make sure if anyone's in room seven you move them…just do it!"

She hung up the phone and frowned at Luke. "Remind me again why I employ him," she requested.

"Because you get an unhealthy amount of pleasure annoying him?" Luke suggested.

"Oh, that," Lorelai said. "Well, we're booked! Let's call the girls."

"Rory first," he said, nodding to the phone in her hand.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "You sure?" she asked.

"Hey, she's the maid of honor, she has to know," Luke said. "Besides, she should at least hear _this_ from you."

Lorelai smiled as she dialed Rory's number. She took Luke's hand and led him to the couch, then put the phone on speaker. "It's early," Rory informed them crankily as she picked up.

"You already e-mailed me, I knew you were up," Lorelai defended.

"E-mail doesn't involved actual human interaction," Rory explained.

"Okay, well, have some coffee and cheer up because Luke and I have news," Lorelai said, smiling at him.

"Oh my god, are you pregnant?" Rory cried.

"No!" Lorelai said quickly. "No," she said again, trying to ignore the faint look of sadness that crossed Luke's face.

"Oh," Rory's tone seemed to match Luke's expression. "Then what's up?"

"Do you have plans December 29th?" Lorelai asked.

"I just e-mailed you, I'll be home," Rory replied. "And you'll be rambling about not getting peppermint in your coffee."

Lorelai offered Luke a smile and squeezed his hand. "How about you go to a wedding instead?" she asked.

"Who's wedding?" Rory asked, then cried, "Yours?"

"That's the plan," Lorelai said. "You and April will be here, and Luke thinks it will be super romantic."

"Uh, that was you," Luke interjected.

"And you didn't deny it," Lorelai replied. "What do you think, maid of honor? Can you squeeze us in before you take off again?"

"I think it's perfect!" Rory exclaimed. "I'm so happy!"

"Good," Lorelai said.

"We have to start planning!" Rory said. "I'll start a spreadsheet of everything we need to do. It's so soon, are you sure you can do this?"

"We're sure," Lorelai nodded. "You don't worry your pretty little head. Luke and I will take care of this."

"But there's so much!" Rory replied. "Flowers and dresses and food. I wonder if I can use our software to design invitations…"

"Rory, you do your job," Luke said. "You can help out when you're here for Thanksgiving, but when you're out there, you need to be focused on your job, not us."

"I'm just so excited!" Rory cried. "Is it going to snow? I hope it snows!"

"You are so my daughter," Lorelai informed her. "Luke's right, babe, just focus on writing, we'll celebrate when you get home."

"I love you, Mom," Rory said happily.

"I love you too, Rory," she replied. "You have no idea."

"Okay, I have to go," Rory said. "Hey, can you send me April's phone number?"

"Sure," Luke said.

"Why?" Lorelai asked.

"Stepsister stuff," Rory replied evasively. "Bye!"

Lorelai turned to smile at Luke. "Well, that's one down," she said.

"She sounded happy," Luke replied, taking the phone from her hand and dialing April's phone number.

"I think she is," Lorelai replied.

"Hello?" April's voice came over the phone.

"Hey, kid, me again," Luke said. "Lorelai's here too."

"Hi, April!" she chimed in.

"Hi!" April replied. "What's up? I've already talked to both of you today."

"Yes, we know you're sick of us," Lorelai placated.

"We have news," Luke started.

"Are you having a baby?" April asked curiously.

Lorelai frowned. "If people were actually looking at me when they said that, I'd start to be offended," she commented. "Nope, no sibling for you, sorry."

"Oh," April sighed dramatically.

"Lorelai and I decided that while you and Rory are both here over Christmas we're going to get married," Luke informed his daughter. "December 29th."

"Really?" April cried. "Dad, that's so exciting! It's so soon!"

Lorelai smiled as she rested her hand on Luke's knee. "Well, you'll learn soon enough that some things aren't worth waiting for," she said. "This is one of them."

"I'll start working on some spreadsheets and e-mail them to you," April said. "There are quite a few flowers that would look nice in a bouquet and still survive the Connecticut cold. I'll have to figure out…"

Lorelai turned to look at Luke as his daughter rambled about cross breeding wedding flowers. "How about we let her and Rory plan the entire thing and just show up for the fun part?" she suggested.

"Works for me," he shrugged.

"Hey, can I have Rory's phone number?" April was asking.

"Sure, I'll e-mail it to you," Lorelai said. She glanced at Luke and added in a loud whisper, "We all know what happens when your dad tries to use the computer."

April giggled. "I have to get to swim practice, but I'll call you tonight," April announced. "I love you guys!"

With that, she hung up and Lorelai turned to Luke. "How long do you think we can wait until we tell the town?" she asked.

"How about forever?" Luke suggested.

"Works for me," Lorelai said. "We have a date."

He smiled as he squeezed her hand. "We have a date."

XXXXX

That evening, after she'd returned from work, Lorelai was seated on the couch with a notebook and pencil, her laptop open on the table, and a frown on her face. Luke had promised to be home before closing that evening, but it was almost nine and she hadn't heard a word from him.

Just as she was reaching for the phone to call him, she heard the front door open and turned to see him enter the living room, a long, flat box in his arms.

"Hi," he said, setting the box on the empty chair and leaning down to kiss her. "Sorry I'm late. I stopped at Liz's."

"It's okay," Lorelai said. She pointed to the box. "What's that?"

"Something I want to talk to you about," Luke said, sitting down beside her on the couch. "Liz went through some of our stuff that's been in storage since I sold our house, and this was one of the things she found. It's our mom's wedding dress."

Lorelai's face morphed into compassion as she reached out to run a hand over his arm. "Oh, hon," she whispered. She knew he was sad his parents wouldn't be at his wedding.

"It's pretty outdated," Luke said. "But I talked to Liz, and she said that it's okay with her if you take some of the material and make a new dress."

Lorelai blinked in surprise. "You what?" she asked.

"You don't have to," Luke said quickly. "But I thought it might be nice."

"I have considered making my own dress," Lorelai replied.

"You make beautiful clothes," Luke offered. "And I just figured I'd offer."

"Can I look at it?" Lorelai asked, standing and holding her hands poised over the box.

"Of course," Luke nodded, gesturing to the box. "The veil's in there too. Liz asked that we don't change that, but if you don't want to wear it, it's fine."

Lorelai gasped as she lifted a lace veil out of the box. "It's beautiful," she whispered, trailing her fingers over the fabric. "I can't believe how perfect this is."

"Really?" Luke asked.

Lorelai smiled as she combed the small tiara into her hair, balancing it on her head. "How do I look?" she asked.

Luke swallowed hard as he looked up at her. "Perfect," he whispered.

Lorelai pulled the veil carefully off her head and placed it on the coffee table before she turned back to the box, pulling the dress out carefully. The satin fabric was cool against her fingertips and she smiled as she trailed her fingers over the long lace arms. "I like it," she said.

"You do?" Luke asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded. "I would change some stuff, but the dress is beautiful. I might make the arms shorter and I'll have to try it on to see how well it fits, but I think I can work with it."

"Really?" Luke asked.

"You sound surprised," Lorelai tore her gaze from the dress to look at him.

"I just thought you'd want something more modern, more you," he said. "I didn't think you'd actually want this one."

Lorelai placed the dress back in the box and sat down on the coffee table in front of him. "Luke," she whispered, taking her hands in his. "This is important to you. I can tell."

Luke nodded.

"So it's important to me," Lorelai said. "That's how this works."

Luke pulled her into his arms and held her tightly for a moment. "Thank you," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled as she pulled back. "Are you sure Liz doesn't mind? What about Doula?"

Luke shook his head. "She's already married, and she says Doula can have her own dress," he said.

"What about April?"

He shot her a glare. "April will never get married," he informed her.

"Luke, I'm being serious," Lorelai said. "It's her grandmother's dress. A family heirloom."

Luke smiled and reached out to curl a strand of her hair around his finger. "And you're marrying into the family," he said softly.

"You're sure?" Lorelai asked.

"You can talk to her, but I honestly can't see April ever being that upset over a dress," Luke said. "Besides, maybe she'll wear the one you make one day."

That brought a bright smile to Lorelai's face. "Yeah, I guess she could," she said. "I have a dress!"

"You have a dress," Luke agreed.

"And we have a date."

"So what's next?" Luke asked.

"Next you promise you'll dance with me," Lorelai said. "It's our wedding."

"We'll dance," Luke promised. "And I'll even eat cake."

"Wow, all these years I've tried to convince you to eat cake," Lorelai smiled as she slid onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "All I had to do was marry you."

"That's all you had to do," Luke confirmed, his hand rubbing her thigh gently. "Hey?"

"Yeah?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm really happy," Luke murmured.

"Me too," Lorelai smiled before her lips came crashing down onto his,

"Hmmm," Luke sighed as her lips trailed down to his neck. "So what else do we have to do?"

"Well, get a marriage permit from Taylor," Lorelai said before kissing him again.

"Don't talk about Taylor when you're doing that," Luke requested.

"Sorry," Lorelai giggled. "Can we take a break from the wedding planning?"

"Hmm, definitely time for a break," Luke said, pulling her lips down to him again. "Ignore it," he commanded when the phone began to ring in the background. Their mouths continued a passionate battle for power as the phone continued to ring, and a moment later the answering machine kicked on.

"Lorelai, it's your mother," the voice filled the room, causing both of them to freeze. "I can't believe you're not home. It's eight thirty on a Tuesday night. Where could you possibly be on a Tuesday?"

"Well, the mood's effectively killed," Luke commented.

"…disrespect for the self control I've had about your wedding plans," Emily was saying. "I have tried to do this your way, but you won't even tell me that you've set a date. Rory isn't answering her phone either, and I have no doubt she learned this from you."

"God, it's been twenty three years since I've lived there and yet she still manages to control my life," Lorelai groaned.

"…humiliating it is to have Mitsy Gibbons tell me she read about your engagement on a blog. A blog, Lorelai. Do you know what kinds of people write blogs? Prostitutes and drug dealers."

"Oh, now we're onto how badly I've ruined her reputation," Lorelai sighed, reaching for the phone.

"What the hell are you doing?" Luke asked, pulling her arm back.

"This is what she does," Lorelai said. "She knows I screen my calls, so she just rambles everything she has to say. Trust me, it's better if I just answer."

Luke raised his hands in defeat. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, sitting back with a smirk as Lorelai answered the phone. Her face immediately morphed into one of regret. "Good luck," Luke whispered, leaning in to press a kiss to the top of her head before he headed for the stairs.

XXXXX

"I hate brides."

Luke looked up from his baseball game when Lorelai stormed into the house late the following evening.

"Seriously, I don't understand how crazy some women are about their damn wedding," Lorelai called as she walked into the kitchen. "It's one stupid day."

"My bride, ladies and gentlemen," Luke said dryly as she walked into the living room with a glass of wine in her hand.

"I'll tell you right now, if on our wedding day I can even tell the difference between sky blue napkins and robin's egg blue napkins, I'll do everyone a favor and not show up," Lorelai rolled her eyes as she collapsed next to him. "I mean, shouldn't it be about the marriage? Not every tiny little detail?"

"Rough day?" Luke asked as she dropped her feet onto his lap.

"The Hannigan wedding was in for a walk through of the inn today," Lorelai reported. "Apparently the tablecloths that we advertised as sky blue were actually robin's egg blue, which means we have to give them the entire linen order for free."

"I'm sorry," Luke offered, rubbing her calf.

Lorelai shrugged. "I guess I'll use her behavior as a model of what _not_ to be like," she said. "But I was thinking today."

"About different shades of blue?"

"No," she kicked him gently. "About our honeymoon."

"Oh," Luke nodded. "I have some thoughts."

"Really?" Lorelai asked curiously. "What are you thinking?"

"Surprise," Luke shook his head.

"What?" Lorelai frowned. "You can't keep a secret from me!"

"Actually, I can," he nodded. "More than one."

"You have more than one secret from me?" Lorelai narrowed her eyes.

"Well, not surprises," he said carefully. "More like ideas. For the honeymoon and your wedding gift."

"You have an idea for my wedding gift?" Lorelai asked, shaking his shoulder slightly. "Tell me, tell me!"

Luke laughed as he shook his head. "Not going to happen," he said.

"Why not?" Lorelai frowned.

"Because I know how to distract you," Luke said.

"How about if I take off a piece of clothing for every answer you give me," Lorelai suggested.

"Seen it before," Luke shrugged.

"And you'll be lucky if you see it again," Lorelai flopped against the back of the couch.

"Oh, I will," Luke nodded, leaning in to kiss her neck gently.

"Luke," she whined. "Tell me about our honeymoon!"

His only response was to gently nibble on her neck, his tongue quickly following to soothe the tender skin. "Hmm, I love when you beg," he murmured.

Lorelai sighed dramatically. "This is so not fair," she said.

Luke lifted his head slightly. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked.

"God no," Lorelai shook her head. "Just remind me to wear a scarf to work tomorrow."

Luke smiled as he returned to his task, enjoying Lorelai's soft sighs of pleasure as her hand rested against the back of his head. After a few moments, he pulled back to admire his work, running his hand over the red circle that had appeared on the spot where her shoulder met her neck. "Now everyone will know you're mine," he murmured.

"Ah, branding me as yours," Lorelai said, running her fingers over the spot. "Now it's your turn."

"No way," Luke shook his head.

"Come on, Luke, I need to make sure none of those Thursday morning book club ladies steal you away from me," Lorelai said.

"Not likely," Luke shrugged. "They're all married."

Lorelai scoffed. "Do you think it's a coincidence that I'm in the diner every Thursday morning?" she asked. "I've seen the way they look at you. I've had to reschedule meetings to keep them away from you."

"Is that why you made a show of flashing your engagement ring last week?" Luke asked.

"Well, that, and it's just so, so pretty," Lorelai nodded.

"You're shameless," Luke informed her.

She shrugged. "I have to do what I have to do," she said. "Hey, Liz called when I was on my way home."

Luke rested his head against the back of the couch. "Please tell me you told her I was working late."

"Sorry, hon," she said. "She's on her way over with TJ."

"Why?" Luke asked.

"She didn't say, but I'm assuming it's because you're her brother and you've barely seen her recently," Lorelai said.

"She only wants to see me when she needs a babysitter," Luke replied.

"Well, let us girls hang out and you and TJ can do manly things," Lorelai said.

"Right," Luke rolled his eyes. "Last time you let TJ do manly things we ended up with a hole in the bedroom wall."

"Well, just don't let him near your toolbox," Lorelai said, then giggled. "Dirty."

"Aw, jeez," Luke rolled his eyes.

"Just watch the game and give him a beer," Lorelai suggested. "Maybe he'll lock himself in the bathroom again."

He sighed as there was a knock at the front door. "We can only hope," he murmured.

"Be nice," Lorelai requested as she moved to the hallway. "Hi, Lorelai!" Liz exclaimed as she opened the door.

"Hi, Liz," Lorelai smiled as she hugged her future sister in law. "How are you?"

"I'm good, I'm good," Liz said. "Where's my big brother?"

"Here," Luke said, appearing in the hallway. "Hi, Liz."

"Hey, you," she said as she reached to kiss his cheek. "Wow, the house looks great!"

"Thanks, we love it," Lorelai said, peering out the door. "Where's TJ? And Doula?"

"He took her to see the work he did on the house," Liz reported. "He's upset because one of the windows is uneven."

"Oh, jeez," Luke handed his beer to Lorelai and hurried out the door.

"Go, babe!" Lorelai called after him before she closed the door and smiled at Liz. "How are you?"

"Great," Liz said, following Lorelai into the living room. "Hey, how's Rory? Last I heard she was writing up a storm on the campaign trail."

"She's a regular Kerouac, that one," Lorelai nodded. "Traveling and writing, next thing you know you'll be seeing her great American novel in bookstores."

"I don't doubt it," Liz said with a smile.

"So what brings you here?" Lorelai asked.

"I have something for you," Liz said as she settled onto the couch.

"For me?" Lorelai asked. "You've already given me your mother's dress, which is perfect, by the way. Are you sure you're okay with me changing it a little?"

"Of course," Liz said. "I've had my day, this is yours. You should have a dress that represented true love. Luke has always wanted what our parents had, and now he has it. Which is why I have these for you."

Before Lorelai could reach for the proffered box, the door burst open and Luke shoved TJ into the kitchen. "Sit down," he said, shoving Doula into his arms. "And don't touch anything."

"Hey, I was just trying to fix the window," TJ defended.

"The window is fine," Luke said tersely. "What's going on in here?" he asked as he returned to the living room.

"Sit down, big brother," Liz said. "I was just about to give Lorelai something for your wedding."

Luke took a seat next to Lorelai and they both looked at Liz expectantly. "I found Mom and Daddy's wedding rings in the box with Mom's dress," she explained. "So I decided to make wedding rings out of them. For you."

Lorelai glanced at Luke as she took the box Liz was holding out. She cracked it open and gasped slightly at the rings before her. "Liz," she whispered, trailing her fingers over the matching silver bands. "These are beautiful."

"They're Mom and Dad's?" Luke asked, his hand joining Lorelai's.

Liz nodded. "I melted their rings together," she said. "Then I created two new bands out of the melted silver. That way each of you has a little bit of each band. I also engraved them."

Lorelai lifted the rings closer to her face, seeing the two L's looped together on each band. "Liz, I can't believe this," she whispered. "They're…perfect."

"I've never seen you this happy, Luke," Liz said. "I know you've worked really hard to get to this point, and I'm so glad you have. You've always looked out for me no matter what. After Mom died and Daddy was too sad to take care of us, you were the one to get me to school, cook me dinner, and hold me when I missed her. You were there when Jimmy left Jess and me, and then you helped me with Jess when I couldn't do it anymore. I'll never be able to thank you for being there for me my whole life. This is the least I can do to show you how grateful I am."

Luke shook his head as he looked at his sister. "I was happy to do it," he said. "I'd do it all over again. You'll always be my sister."

Liz smiled at both of them. "You two deserve this," she said.

Lorelai blushed and ducked her head. "We're pretty sure this time," she said.

"We are," Luke said, rubbing her knee.

"Make each other happy," Liz said. "Let yourselves be happy."

"We will," Lorelai promised, leaning back into Luke.

"Hey, there's a chip in the banister!" TJ announced as he walked into the living room. "I told you those guys didn't know what they were doing!"

"I want him out of my house," Luke said to Liz.

Liz held up her hands in front of her. "He's just trying to find something he's good at," she said. "Bring him outside if you don't trust him."

"TJ, let's go," Luke said wearily, taking Doula from him and handing the baby to Lorelai.

"Where are you going?" Lorelai asked.

"Taylor's," Luke replied. "Maybe he can find something else to renovate and Taylor can find someone else to annoy."

"Win win," Lorelai nodded in understanding.

"I'll see you later," he leaned down to kiss her softly.

Lorelai smiled as she watched him leave. "These rings are amazing, Liz," she said softly. "I can't believe you did this. It's more than enough."

"You've made my brother so happy," Liz said. "He's been through a lot, and I always hoped he'd loosen up a bit. Now he's with you and I couldn't imagine someone better for him. My parents would have wanted you to have all of this. They would have loved you."

Lorelai nodded, tears filling her eyes. "Luke says that too," she said. "I hope it's true. I know how much they mean to him, how much he misses them. I really hope they would have approved of me."

"They would have loved to be here to see this," Liz promised. "You're part of this family now, Lorelai. Rory too. Just…take care of him."

"I will," Lorelai promised, leaning down to inhale Doula's unique baby scent. "I promise."

Liz reached out to hold her daughter's foot with a smile on her face. "She loves you," she commented.

"Feeling's mutual," Lorelai said. "I remember when Rory was this old. I wish I could have frozen time."

"Me too," Liz said sadly. "I didn't enjoy this enough with Jess."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "Hey, how are you doing?" she asked. "With the…fertility stuff? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"It's okay," Liz said. "We're still working on it. Annie, you know my friend from the faire? She does fertility crystal treatments in the off season. She has very good thoughts about us."

"Have you seen a doctor?" Lorelai asked.

"No, TJ thinks doctors are a waste of time and money," Liz said. She eyed Lorelai carefully. "What's the deal with you two?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Nothing for now," she said. "We're just forgoing preventative measures."

"Well, I can give you Annie's number," Liz offered sincerely.

Lorelai shook her head, imagining Luke's face upon learning that grog booth Annie would be given details about their sex life. "That's okay," she said. "I think we'll just let nature run its course."

"For what it's worth, I know you'll be wonderful parents," Liz said. "I mean look at those girls you already have."

"They're pretty special, aren't they?" Lorelai smiled as she looked down at Doula. "You're going to be just as special as your cousins, aren't you?"

Doula giggled up at her and Lorelai squeezed her tightly. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked Liz.

"Sure, I'm a great secret keeper," Liz nodded.

Lorelai hugged Doula and rested her head against the baby's soft blonde hair. "I want one so badly," she whispered. "And I'm scared we'll never get it."

Liz smiled and reached out to rest a hand on Lorelai's shoulder. "You'll get it," she said. "I'm never wrong about these things."

XXXXX

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, where have you been? I've been calling and calling and there's no answer. I know you're home, because it's nine thirty on a Wednesday night and you're never out late on Tuesday night because you want to watch Lost…"

Luke turned to frown at Lorelai as Rory's voice came through the answering machine. "She's approaching Emily Gilmore level of scary," he told her.

"…after traveling all the way across the country, you can't even get off the couch to greet me."

Lorelai paused her search through the couch cushions in attempts to find the phone. "What are you talking about?" she asked the machine.

"Open the front door and find out."

Lorelai sprinted towards the front door and let out a scream of excitement when she saw her daughter standing in front of her. "You're here!" she cried.

Rory threw herself into her mother's embrace. "You answered!"

"I didn't know you'd be home so soon!"

"Me neither!"

"I'm so glad you're here!"

"Me too! Where's your ring?"

Lorelai beamed as she held her left hand out to her daughter with a dramatic flourish. "You've been replaced," she said in a posh voice. "This is my new best friend."

"Good to know," Rory said as she examined it closer. "It looks more shiny, is it more shiny?"

Lorelai wrapped her arm around Rory and guided her inside. "Probably," she said. "Hey, I found a stray on the porch."

"I heard," Luke said with a smile as he stood and offered Rory a hug. "Welcome home."

"Thanks, Luke," she said, returning the hug. "Where's April?"

"She gets in tomorrow afternoon," Luke said. "You're sure you don't mind sharing your room? We put another bed in your room and rearranged some of the furniture."

"Not at all," Rory shrugged. "We have a lot of sister stuff to do."

Lorelai smiled affectionately at her daughter. "What brings you here early?" she asked.

Rory sat down on the couch and shrugged. "I got my article in and we don't need to report back until Monday," she said. "I could have spent tonight on the tour bus or used Grandma and Grandpa's credit card to catch an evening flight to Hartford."

"Ditching your job and using your grandparents' credit card to travel across the country to see me," Lorelai said, clutching her hands to her chest. "I have never been prouder of you!"

"I figured you'd think that," Rory said with a nod before she turned to Luke. "Have things changed that much around here that a girl has to ask for coffee?"

Lorelai giggled as Luke rolled his eyes and headed towards the kitchen. She thought she heard the words, "mother," "daughter," and "crazy" escape his lips, but she couldn't be sure.

"Hey, come upstairs," she said. "While he's busy."

"Oh, wedding stuff!" Rory cried, following Lorelai up the stairs.

"Yep," Lorelai said, dragging Rory into her bedroom. "Lock him out."

Rory gleefully closed the door and flipped the lock, turning to watch as Lorelai pulled a white garment bag out of the depths of her closet. "I just finished it yesterday," she reported. "It's not exactly as fancy as the other one, but I didn't want that."

"I can't wait to see it," Rory said, settling on the end of the bed as Lorelai unzipped the bag and gingerly pulled out the dress. A layer of white lace covered the satin of Luke's mother's dress, and a sheer layer of lace fell as sleeves down the side. A white satin sash rested on the hanger, and Lorelai fingered it softly.

"This will go around my waist, like a belt," she explained.

"Mom, it's beautiful," Rory said, standing to run her hand over the dress. "Will you try it on for me?"

Lorelai held the dress up to herself and offered her daughter an unabashed happy smile. "I've been trying it on at least once a day," she said. "Even before it was done."

Rory smiled at her mother's giddiness. "Go ahead, Cinderella, I want to see it!" she gestured to the bathroom.

"Hey, the veil's in there too!" Lorelai called from behind the closed door. "I haven't made up my mind about it, I'm not sure if it matches the dress."

Rory retrieved the veil and held it up carefully. "It's beautiful," she commented.

"It is, I'm just not sure if it matches," Lorelai said. She stepped into the bedroom dressed in her dress, and smiled shyly. "Does it look okay?"

"Oh, Mom, you look amazing!" Rory cried. "It fits you perfectly!"

"It should, I made it for me," Lorelai said. She stepped in front of the floor length mirror and turned from side to side, smiling as she examined herself. "Do you really think it's okay?"

"It's perfect," Rory promised.

"You think Luke will like it?" Lorelai asked.

"He'll love it."

"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked.

"Positive," Rory nodded. "Try the veil."

Lorelai took the veil and placed it in her hair, examining it closely. "What do you think?" she asked.

Rory tilted her head to the side. "Maybe if you attach it to the back of your head instead of the top," she suggested.

Lorelai adjusted the veil and turned back to the mirror. "Better," she nodded. "I'll see what I think tomorrow."

"And you can get April's opinion too," Rory nodded.

Before Lorelai could respond, Luke's voice came from the other side of the door. "I know I'm not allowed in right now, but the requested coffee is ready," he said. "And I'd think very carefully about asking Rory to sneak it into you when you're wearing that dress."

"I am not wearing a wedding dress!" Lorelai called defensively.

"Then let me in."

Lorelai frowned at Rory, who shook her head. "I'm not getting in the middle of this," she said.

"Traitor," Lorelai sighed. "We'll be down in a few minutes!" she called.

After she'd heard Luke's footsteps descend the stairs, she turned to Rory. "Be honest," she said. "I won't be offended if you think there's anything wrong with it, at all."

"There's not," Rory said. "The dress is perfect."

"Is it too short?" Lorelai asked, turning to try to look at the back. "Or too tight? I know I'm not exactly traditional, but I don't want to look slutty on my wedding day. I can add some material to the hem if you think I should. Or shorten the arm length, but it will be December, so it will be cold, and…"

"Mom," Rory said sincerely, turning Lorelai to look at her. "It's perfect."

Lorelai smiled as she tried to fight the tears building in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too," Rory said. "Now put that dress away, I want some coffee!"

Lorelai sighed as she turned to look at herself in the mirror. "Just a few more minutes?" she asked.

"Okay, fine," Rory sighed dramatically. "I'll go make sure Luke has honorable intentions towards you."

Lorelai turned to look at Rory with raised eyebrows. "God, I hope not," she said.

Rory made a face. "So not what I meant," she said. "Come down when you're ready, Bridezilla."

Luke was pouring two cups of coffee in the kitchen when she walked down the stairs, and she offered him a grateful smile as she accepted one of them. "Thanks, Luke," she said, inhaling deeply. "God, I missed your coffee."

"Glad to be of service," he said. He nodded to her room and said, "I brought in the bags you left on the porch."

"Thanks," Rory said. "I guess I got distracted."

"Your mom's been dying to show the dress to someone," he said in understanding. "She doesn't want anyone besides you and April to see it before the wedding."

Rory nodded and took a long sip of coffee.

"She said she finished it yesterday," Luke continued casually.

"I'm not telling you anything," Rory said.

Luke sighed. "Worth a try," he said.

"She's happy," Rory informed him.

"I know that."

"Make sure she stays that way." Rory's tone was teasing, but her eyes met his gaze evenly. He wasn't sure her protective streak would ever become softer when it came to her mother.

"She will," he promised.

"A year ago she was miserable," Rory reminded him.

"So was I."

"I hated seeing her like that."

"I know."

Rory set her coffee cup on the counter. "I don't want it to seem like I'm not happy about this, because I am," she said. "But after everything, you could see how I'm a little apprehensive."

"Rory, we've been over this, we've thought it through," Luke promised. "Neither of us has the best track record, I'll give you that. But we're sure this time, I promise."

"Okay," Rory said. She glanced at him for a moment before she said, "The dress is white."

He rolled his eyes, taking her peace offering. "Thanks," he said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," she nodded. She sat down at the kitchen table and asked, "So what are the chances of getting a patented Luke breakfast tomorrow morning?"

"I'd say pretty good," Lorelai answered for him as she walked into the kitchen. She accepted the cup of coffee Luke was offering her and smiled dreamily at him. "You're a vision."

"I'll make breakfast as long as you're both up before nine," he said. "I have to get to the diner so I can pick April up at the airport in the afternoon."

"I can do nine," Lorelai nodded.

"Me too, that's sleeping in for me now," Rory said. "Do you think April will want to go to the Thanksgiving sale at Stars Hollow books on Friday?"

"Is my mother disappointed by my existence?" Lorelai responded. "That future stepsister of yours is giving you a run for your money."

Rory frowned. "I'm going to reclaim that Scrabble record," she declared. "Even if it takes all night."

"Well, don't expect me to watch," Lorelai said. "Unless I'm allowed to make up words this time."

"You've never been allowed to make up words," Rory said.

"Like that's ever stopped her," Luke muttered.

"Hey, I was good last time!" Lorelai defended herself.

"Brasselfrat?" Luke prompted.

"What's brasselfrat?" Rory asked.

"Your mother tried to use it as a word last time April was here," Luke explained.

"It's a word!" Lorelai cried.

"Use it in a sentence," Rory requested.

Lorelai thought for a moment, stumped, then said, "Brasselfrat is an acceptable Scrabble word." She gave a confident nod and took a sip of coffee.

"I veto it," Rory replied.

Lorelai scoffed. "I give you life and you veto my Scrabble words?" she asked. "How is that fair?"

"I don't make the rules," Rory replied.

"Hey, we should stay up all night and eat lots of sugar and watch movies," Lorelai replied. "It's been way too long since we've done that!"

"You did it last week," Luke reminded her.

"Yeah, with you, not Rory," Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Good to know where I stand," Luke nodded. He stood and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Don't make yourself too sick?"

"Only moderately sick," Lorelai confirmed. "Night."

"Goodnight," he brushed his hand over her shoulder. "Night, Rory."

"Night, Luke."

She watched as he disappeared around the staircase, then turned to her mother. "You two seem good," she said.

Lorelai sighed dramatically and held her hand out in front of her. "Well, I do think the diamond is a sign of good things," she said.

Rory was quiet for a moment before she said. "A year ago you were married to Dad."

Lorelai quickly deflated and turned to look at Rory. "What's your point?" she asked.

"My point is that it hasn't been _that_ long," Rory said. "You and Luke were great at first, before it got bad. What if this is the same thing? The happy, back together bubble?"

"That's not what this is," Lorelai said quickly. "We're acting happy because we _are_ happy. You haven't been around, Rory, but we've fought through everything. There have been tears and yelling and accusations. There's been forgiveness and sharing of emotions. We're not the same people we were, we're better."

"I just don't know if I can watch you go through it again," Rory admitted. "Or watch him go through it again. It was too hard."

The expression on Rory's face reminded Lorelai of how she'd looked when she was ten years old and heartbroken when they couldn't go on a weekend trip because Lorelai had had to take over a canceled shift at the inn. For the first time, Lorelai realized how much her actions over the past year and a half had effected her daughter, and immediately hated herself for it.

"We never really talked about what happened, did we?" she asked softly.

"We talked about it to great length," Rory countered.

"No, we talked about me and my feelings," Lorelai said. "We never talked about how my bad choices effected _you."_

"It's okay," Rory said.

"It's not okay," Lorelai said. "God, how could I have been so selfish?"

"You weren't yourself," Rory said. "It's okay, it's not you I'm mad at."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Are you mad at Luke?" she asked.

"No!" Rory cried. "I mean, I was, because he was kind of a jerk, but he's more than made up for that."

"Okay, so who's facing the wrath of Rory Gilmore now?" Lorelai asked.

Rory sipped her coffee for a moment before she said, "Dad should have known you weren't ready. He totally took advantage of how hurt you were."

Lorelai inhaled sharply as she glanced over her shoulder. Rory's voice was rising, and she wasn't sure how Luke would react to what she was saying. "Rory…"

"It's not okay!" Rory cried, standing and pacing, the flood of her emotions now let loose. "He was always trying to get to you! And the only time he ever even paid attention to me was when he wanted to get to you!"

"Rory, your dad loves you, you know that," Lorelai replied.

"He didn't even care that I wasn't there!" Rory yelled. "I mean, it was completely insane that you two got married, but I'm your daughter! Shouldn't he have wanted me to be there?"

Lorelai's mind flashed back to two very different moments in time.

 _I don't want to set a wedding date until things are right with Rory…Okay._

 _Marry me…we can't…why not…Rory…Rory will be thrilled._

The differences between Luke and Christopher were defined by those two moments in time, and Lorelai was again slammed with regret.

"And even when things were weird between you and Luke, he was there for me!" Rory exclaimed. "He made me s'mores and bought me a necklace! And before you were even together, he sent his own nephew away because he thought that's what I wanted! He moved me into Yale, he took care of me when I was sick! He's the one who always cared!"

Lorelai's mind again flashed to her parents' wedding, when she'd been in a desperate search for Luke. Rory had been more upset about Luke being disappointed in her than her own father after being caught with a boy.

 _Luke was so mad…that's because to Luke you're still twelve years old._

"Hon, you've got to calm down," Lorelai said gently.

Rory stopped pacing and turned to look at Lorelai. "I just want things to work," she admitted. "I don't…I don't want to get my hopes up and have them torn down again."

Lorelai stood and pulled Rory tightly into her arms. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, cradling her head on her shoulder. "I never even considered what all of that did to you. And me working things out with Luke has been great, but I should have talked to you about it too. I should have known how upset you were."

Rory shook her head against Lorelai's shoulder. "I'm not upset about Luke," she murmured. "I'm scared it won't last."

"Hey," Lorelai said, pulling back and holding Rory's shoulders. "I get why you're scared of that. I was too, for a long time. But Luke and I are back. For good. We're better than ever, Rory, I promise. We wouldn't be doing this to you or April if we weren't a hundred thousand percent positive that this was the right move."

Rory wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "Promise?" she asked.

Lorelai kissed Rory's forehead and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Promise, promise," she murmured. "I'm sorry it's a little late."

"It's okay," Rory murmured.

"And I'm sorry I was selfish."

Rory smiled as she pulled back from the embrace. "I'll add it to the list," she said.

Lorelai took her peace offering and snapped her fingers. "Damn, that list is getting longer and longer."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, kid."

Rory turned to the coffee machine and asked, "Coffee and movies?"

"You are so my daughter."


	10. Chapter 10

**I am absolutely loving all the reviews you guys are sending in. I am so glad that you're all still enjoying this story! Happy reading!**

* * *

It was almost two thirty when Lorelai crawled into bed beside a sleeping Luke. Rory had gone to bed about half an hour earlier, but Lorelai had stayed up, reliving their conversation from earlier that evening. She could feel guilt, regret, and self loathing creeping up on her in a way she hadn't felt since the weeks leading up to her reconciliation with Luke, and she wasn't sure how to face this situation with Rory.

As she pulled the covers up over herself, Luke turned in his sleep and slid his arm over her stomach. She smiled slightly, loving that he could tell that she was there, even in his sleep. She traced a finger over his arm, turning to look at him as he murmured, "What time is it?"

"Late," she said, her voice choking slightly. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay." He was quiet for a moment and Lorelai thought he'd fallen back asleep, but when she took a shaky breath trying to control her emotions, she felt him lift his head from his pillow. "You okay?"

She tried to say yes, but her voice betrayed her and the word came out in a strangled sob. Luke was immediately awake, reaching for his bedside light before he turned back to her with concern in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to control herself. "I'm a horrible mother," she confessed.

"What?" Luke frowned, his hand moving up and down her arm. His memory flashed briefly to how Lorelai had beaten herself up over Paul Anka's first sickness two years ago, a concern that had clearly been much deeper than her dog's fever.

"I'm an awful mother," Lorelai repeated. "I'm selfish and don't give any concern to my daughter's well being."

"Stop," Luke said firmly. "That's not true, Lorelai, any of it."

"It is," she said, leaning into him. "I never thought about Rory, not once."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and asked, "Did you two have a fight?"

"No," she sniffled. "We talked about you, and our wedding and how she feels about it."

Luke brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "She told me she was okay with it," he murmured. "Did she change her mind?"

"No," Lorelai shook her head. "I just haven't considered how my choices over the past couple years have affected her. She came back from Hartford and got herself back together and then I began to spiral downwards without even thinking about her. I mean, I told her how hurt I was by you, and I cried over our breakup with her. I moved Christopher and Gigi in here and got married and divorced, then started working things out with you. And I talked to her about it, but only about _me_ and what _I_ was thinking and feeling. I was so self absorbed that I never even thought about what the back and forth meant to her. Just because she's a grown up doesn't mean I can lean on her without listening to her."

"You were in a difficult place, Lorelai," he murmured. "And I hate that I played a role in that. But you doing what you think is right for _you_ doesn't make you a bad mother."

"It does!" she exclaimed. "I mean, for god's sake, she's right about all of it! You're the one who's taken care of her since you've known us. Even when you were pushing me away, you were there for her. She must have been crushed when she realized we broke up. And I went to _him!_ The only time her dad ever wanted to be involved in her life was when he used her to get to me! And he didn't even care that she wasn't part of it. But she never said anything because I told her I could make it work. She trusted me, and I let her think it was going to work, but I screwed it up. Now she's afraid to hope that we'll actually get married, and who can blame her? I've given her hope over and over again, only to have her be completely clobbered every time."

"Hey, we're past all this," Luke said. "You promised you weren't going to beat yourself up over the past."

"But it's not the past," Lorelai said. "I mean, you and I know we've worked through all of our problems and are better for it. But it's still happening for Rory, she's afraid to get excited about our wedding because she's afraid we're going to mess it up. She wants it to happen, but she told me she wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment if it doesn't work."

"It's going to work," he murmured.

" _I_ know that, and _you_ know that," Lorelai said. "And I told her that, but…I just can't believe I never thought about her. What kind of horrible mother doesn't even consider her daughter when making major life choices?"

"Rory loves you," Luke assured her.

"I know that," Lorelai nodded. "But have I screwed her up? By letting her watch me dive in over and over again only to have it explode in her face? That can't be normal."

"Rory's perfect," Luke promised. "You did an amazing job with her, Lorelai, never doubt that."

"I didn't," Lorelai shook her head. "She's amazing despite me, not because of me."

"Okay, you need to stop talking like that," Luke said, his voice rising. "I don't want to hear this, it's not you!"

"It is," Lorelai insisted. "My mother has been trying to tell me that forever, I'm completely incapable of making good choices. I'm a failure."

"You are _not_ a failure!"

She turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Why are you getting mad?" she asked.

"Because if I heard anyone else talking about you like this, I'd get mad at them," Luke replied. "You're not a failure, and you're not a bad mother. You need to stop beating yourself up, because you're worth more than that."

"Luke," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Please. If I can't talk to you about this, I can't talk to anyone."

He relented then and held his arm open to her again. "You're not a failure," he repeated, more calmly this time. "You've made mistakes, but who hasn't? You're human."

Lorelai sniffled as she turned to bury her face in his neck. "I just can't believe I didn't even see it," she whispered. "I hate that I was so selfish that I didn't think about my own daughter."

"You're seeing it now," Luke murmured. "You're going to find a way to fix it."

"How?" Lorelai whispered. "It's not like I can go back in time and talk to her. If I could do that, I'd go back to the night that shall not be named and go home."

Luke was quiet for a moment, then whispered, "You could tell her about how hard you've worked to get better."

"I have told her," Lorelai breathed. "That doesn't change things."

Luke cleared his throat and pulled back so he could look in her eyes. "I think you should tell her about Abby," he suggested gently.

"No," Lorelai said firmly. "No. I'm not even going every week anymore. You promised me, Luke, you promised you wouldn't ever tell anyone."

"I know and I haven't," he assured her. "I won't. But I think _you_ should."

"She can't know," Lorelai said defensively. "No. Out of the question."

"Okay," Luke relented. He was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Why not?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't recall you renting a bulletin board to announce your involvement in the process," she stated.

"I know, I get why you don't want the entire world to know, especially in this insane town," Luke said. "But we're talking about Rory here. Maybe if she gets how willing you were to do something that was scary and challenge yourself to face your fears she'll understand that things are different this time."

Lorelai sighed as she smoothed her hand over the comforter. "I guess you have a point," she said. "I'll think about it."

Luke leaned forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "You're a great mother," he assured her. "Rory is who she is because you gave up everything for her. How many teenagers would share a bed with their child for years in a shed? How many people would be willing to give up their dreams to send their kid to school? How many would stay up until one in the morning to see a live streaming of her stepdaughter's swim meet online since she couldn't be there in person?"

Lorelai smiled slightly. "I still can't believe swim meets go that late," she murmured.

"Not everyone would do that," Luke promised. "If I thought you were a bad mother in any way do you think I'd have ever left you alone with April?"

"Well, those seeds were planted," Lorelai muttered.

He reached for her hand. "That's the old me," he murmured.

"I know," she sighed. "I guess there are still times where it's going to creep back up on us. I'm not trying to hold it against you, I promise. I just hope I'll do a better job with our kid."

"I hope you are the exact same kind of mother you are to Rory," he said sincerely.

A glimmer appeared in Lorelai's eye. "Does that mean you'll let me drink coffee after I get pregnant?" she asked.

"Okay, there will be the tiny exception of not passing the caffeine addiction along," Luke conceded. "But the big stuff, you just be the mother you've always been. And our baby will be just as perfect as her sisters."

Lorelai smiled gently. "I hope so," she breathed. She met his gaze evenly and murmured, "She'll have her dad around."

"She will," Luke nodded. "You feeling better?"

She wiped at her eyes and nodded. "Yeah," she admitted. "I'm sorry for waking you up in an emotional mess."

"It's okay," he said honestly. "Just don't get too down on yourself. I don't like seeing you like that."

She smiled softly as she settled down against the pillows. "Thanks," she said. "For talking me through it."

He reached to turn off the light and settled down beside her. "Thanks for turning to me," he replied.

Lorelai sighed deeply as she turned onto her side, her exhaustion and emotions lulling her into a deep sleep.

XXXXX

"The town looks so fun!" April exclaimed the following afternoon as Luke drove through the town square on the way back from the airport. "Even though the pilgrims aren't accurately portrayed in the diorama I appreciate the nostalgic feel."

"You don't have to look at them every day," Luke grumbled.

"Aw, come on, Dad, even you have to admit it's fun!" April exclaimed.

Luke sighed deeply. "You're going to get along well with Lorelai and Rory this weekend," he stated.

"Is Rory really okay sharing her room?" April asked. "I can sleep on the couch."

"You are not going to sleep on the couch," Luke said firmly. "We talked to her and brought your bed from the apartment over. It's completely fine."

"Okay," April said. "Hey, do you think Lorelai will let us have pizza for dinner?"

Luke let out a laugh as he turned into the driveway. "I'll think we'll be able to convince her," he said.

April smiled as she stepped out of the car. Luke was getting out of his own side when the front door opened and Lorelai rushed down the porch steps, Rory close behind her.

"Welcome home!" Lorelai cried, holding her arms out to April. April laughed and hugged her tightly before Lorelai pulled back to examine her. "I thought I told you that you weren't allowed to grow anymore," she said with a mock frown.

"I tried to stop," April said seriously. She glanced around Lorelai and suddenly became a bit unsure when her eyes landed on Rory. "Hi, Rory," she said quietly.

"Hi," Rory replied, equally unsure of how to greet her future stepsister.

"Okay, you're going to be sharing a room, you're sisters, hug it out already," Lorelai encouraged, shoving April towards Rory.

Rory walked down the stairs and the girls embraced quickly before Rory stepped back and crossed her arms. "How was your flight?" she asked.

"Long," April said. "But I'm working my way through the Odyssey so I'm prepared for my honors Literature course after Christmas."

Rory's eyes lit up. "You know, my grandpa gave me a copy in Greek," she said. "It was published during the Industrial Revolution."

"Really?" April asked. "Can I see it?"

"Of course," Rory said, leading her towards the house. "How do you feel about graphic novels?"

"They're ruining my generation's ability to understand good literature," April replied without hesitation.

Rory nodded in approval. "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she announced before the girls disappeared into the house.

Lorelai turned towards Luke with a smile. "Well, it wasn't that awkward," she offered.

Luke pulled April's bag out of the back of the truck. "Guess it could have been worse," he nodded. "Geez, she's only here for three days. Does she really need this much stuff?"

"Duh, she's a girl," Lorelai replied, taking the backpack he held out to her. "Plus, if she's that much like Rory, she's got six novels to read for pleasure, and all of her textbooks."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Luke said as they made their way back to the house. He looked at her carefully, then asked, "How are you feeling today?"

"Better," Lorelai confirmed. "I'm sorry again for waking you up."

"Hey it's okay," he said with a small smile. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

She shrugged, pausing outside the front door. "I still feel guilty," she admitted.

"It's okay that Rory was upset, you know," Luke said. "I don't _like_ it, or want her to be upset, but that was a rough year for everyone. I'd be more concerned if she wasn't emotional about it."

"That's true," Lorelai sighed. "I hate that I didn't think about her though."

"Well, now you know," Luke said. "You're an amazing mother, Lorelai. There's no one else in the world I'd plan to have a baby with."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Because of my beauty and quick sense of humor?" she asked.

"Because you'll take care of her and help her grow into an ambitious, caring, kind adult," Luke replied. He glanced at her and then smiled. "Plus she'll be beautiful."

Lorelai smiled and rubbed his arm before she opened the front door. He followed her into the kitchen, and the two of them stopped outside Rory's room. Both girls were staring at the back cover of a thick book.

"They're both home," she murmured over her shoulder.

He squeezed her arm and smiled down at her. "Feels good, doesn't it?" he replied.

She nodded and leaned her head back into him. "Yeah, it does."

Rory looked up and eyed them closely. "Why are you both looking at us like that?" she asked.

"Because you're both just so pretty," Lorelai said with a bright smile. "We have your stuff, April."

"Thanks," she said, reaching to take her backpack. "Hey, can we get pizza tonight?"

Lorelai turned to Rory. "I told you, I trained her well," she reported.

"Pizza is always a solid choice," Rory nodded. "But no vegetables," she added with a pointed look at Luke.

He frowned. "I get hungry too," he said.

"Well, it's three against one, no vegetables," Lorelai shrugged. "Sorry."

He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at her. "So I'm just supposed to starve?" he asked.

"No, you could go out on a limb and eat extra cheesy pizza and garlic cheesy bread," Lorelai replied.

"That sounds disgusting."

"Luke, it's a special occasion," she explained.

"So that means I have to eat crappy food?"

"No, it means you have to make us happy," Lorelai tilted her head to the side. "Isn't that what you want?"

He inhaled deeply then pointed a finger at her. "You can have your crap, but you're eating a salad with it," he ordered.

She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "With steak and blue cheese?"

"Chicken and vinaigrette."

"Chicken and ranch."

"Fine," he relented, then turned and stormed towards the living room.

Lorelai followed him, calling, "You better not try to put fat free ranch on that salad!"

Rory rolled her eyes as she placed the book on her bookshelf. "Some things never change," she said.

"Have they always been like that?" April asked.

"For as long as I can remember," Rory confirmed.

"Even before they dated?"

"Believe it or not, they were worse," Rory informed her.

"Worse?" April asked.

"One time, Luke tried to give Mom a turkey burger," Rory informed her. "She retaliated by throwing out his entire supply of decaf coffee."

"Wow, I wish I could have seen that," April said.

Rory shrugged. "I'm sure there are plenty more similar events in our future," she said.

April was quiet as she sat down on the edge of her bed, placed against the wall where Rory's dresser had formerly stood. "When did you meet my dad?" she asked.

"I think I was ten," Rory replied. "I actually met him before Mom did."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I got let out of school early because someone pulled the fire alarm," Rory replied. "I was going to get a piece of cake from Weston's, but it was closed so I figured I'd go to the diner on the corner instead. It wasn't busy, and Luke just told me that I shouldn't be eating sugar that late in the day. He gave me an extra big slice of pie though. While I ate he asked me where my parents were, and I told him that I was an inn kid. We'd just moved here, but I still felt more at home at the inn. Luke let me do my homework at the counter before I went to meet my mom at the inn that afternoon."

"When did your mom meet my dad?" April asked.

Rory shrugged. "I don't know, I never really asked," she said. "But one Saturday, instead of going to Al's, we went to Luke's before we went ice skating. He went skating with us and stayed with me while Mom took off."

"He stayed with you?" April asked.

"I'm not exactly athletic," Rory replied. "I was scared. Luke didn't let go of me until I was ready."

April nodded sadly and looked down at her hands. "I can see that," she said softly.

Rory looked at April and immediately kicked herself mentally. "I'm sorry," she said. "I know what it's like to grow up without a dad."

"It's okay," April said. "I know he would have been there if he'd known about me."

"Consider yourself lucky for that," Rory muttered.

Before April could say anything, Lorelai poked her head into the room. "Okay, I know you're doing the sisterly bonding thing, but Luke and I would actually like to interact with you two at some point," she announced.

"Is the pizza here?" Rory asked.

"Yes," Lorelai nodded. "Hey, will you eat my salad?"

Rory made a face. "No way," she said.

"How about you?" Lorelai turned to April. "Free room and board, all you have to do is eat salad."

"Lorelai!" Luke exclaimed as he appeared in the kitchen. "You're eating the salad. I want you to live past the age of forty."

"Hey, if you don't make me eat salad, I'll let you walk Paul Anka for a month," Lorelai offered.

"Is that supposed to tempt me?" he asked.

April turned to Rory. "Do they ever not argue?" she asked.

Rory shook her head and placed a hand on April's shoulder. "Trust me, I've seen the opposite," she said. "You don't want to know."

"Don't want to know what?" Luke asked as the girls joined them in the living room.

"What happens when you withhold coffee from me and Mom," Rory replied, settling on the floor and reaching for a piece of pizza.

"She's right," Lorelai nodded. "It's not pretty."

Luke sighed from his spot beside Lorelai on the couch. "I know, I've learned my lesson," he said.

"So we need to discuss our schedule for tomorrow," Lorelai announced, frowning at the avocado in her salad. She reached her fork over to put it on Luke's plate, offering him an innocent smile as she did so.

"Schedule?" April asked. "Aren't we going to have Thanksgiving dinner?"

"Not just one, young padwan," Lorelai replied. "Three."

"Three?" April asked.

"What happened to the Kims'?" Luke asked.

"Lane and Mrs. Kim are going to Zack's house for dinner," Rory reported.

"But instead of Sookie's, we're going to Liz's," Lorelai added. "We'll start there, head to the diner so I can give Luke his flowers, and then head to the house of horrors."

Rory frowned. "They've been better," she said.

"Yes, but there is a significant possibility they've been saving it all up for the holidays," Lorelai replied. "Especially considering the fact that I can almost time my mother's daily phone call to express how our wedding is not being properly planned."

"Don't listen to her," Rory said to April. "She's exaggerating."

"No she's not," Luke interjected. "We'll come up with a smoke signal if we need to get out of there quickly."

"Good idea," Lorelai said with an impressed nod. "I'll also give you a blueprint of the house labeled with every way to sneak out."

"You're scaring her, stop it!" Rory admonished. "They'll be perfectly nice to you. They'll like you, I promise."

"Okay," April said hesitantly.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, you're smart, so just tell them about your science projects," she said. "Make sure you use really big words to confuse my mother."

"Okay," April repeated.

Luke offered her a small smile. "Don't worry, kid," he said. "If they're even remotely mean to you, I'll just ask for a beer."

"Yeah, you're a real nitwit to drink that stuff," Lorelai nodded. She pointed to the TV and said, "So what are we watching tonight?"

XXXXX

"Thanks for dinner, Aunt Liz," April said politely the following afternoon.

"You're very welcome, April," she replied. "It's nice to have you home."

"It's nice to be here," April said, sealing the last of the leftovers and handing them to her aunt.

"You too, Rory," Liz said, turning to the sink where Rory was washing the last plate. "Thanks for helping with clean up."

"No problem, it's the least I can do," Rory said.

"It's too bad Jess couldn't make it, he would have loved to see both of you," Liz sighed.

"I've been e-mailing him," Rory replied. "He said he's going to be here for Mom's wedding."

Liz tilted her head to the side. "Yeah, it's so cute how Luke asked him to be the best man," she said. "He really helped him out, don't you think?"

Rory cleared her throat and looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I can't believe he's having another book published," she said.

"Me neither!" Liz exclaimed. "I'm so proud of him I could just burst. You know, I saw…"

As Liz described her latest visit to her son, April wandered out of the kitchen and into the living room. TJ had disappeared up the stairs, and Lorelai was seated on the floor with Doula in her lap. Luke was seated across the room, smiling as he watched Lorelai place Doula onto her feet and hold her waist steady for a moment.

"Come on, pretty girl," Lorelai said, carefully letting go of Doula. "Walk to your uncle. You can do it, I know you can."

Doula bounced slightly, laughing as she looked towards Luke. He beamed back at her as he held his arms out. "It's just a few steps," he said in a soft tone.

With a final bounce, Doula quickly pushed herself forward, running into Luke's arms and collapsing into them with a loud laugh. "Good job, Doula!" Luke said, pressing a kiss to her head.

Lorelai scooted closer and rubbed her hand over the baby's back. "It's a pretty great place to be, isn't it?" she said softly.

Luke offered her a smile before he turned his attention back to the baby. "She's getting so big," he murmured.

"I can't believe she's walking," Lorelai added.

April glanced over at Rory as she appeared in the doorway beside her. "Is it weird for you?" she asked.

Rory followed April's gaze, watching as Lorelai lifted Doula out of Luke's arms and bounced her over her head, causing the baby to squeal excitedly. "Not really," she said. "Mom's always been good with babies."

"But the two of them together with her?" April asked.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked gently.

April shrugged. "It could have been me," she said softly. "When I was as small as Doula, it could have been me he was playing with."

Rory nodded. "I guess it is a little weird," she conceded. "And if they have a baby, they'll have him around."

"It's not fair," April muttered.

"No, it's not," Rory agreed. "But they'll still love both of us."

"I know," April replied. "I never thought I'd have a sibling."

Rory sighed dramatically. "Hopefully _our_ sibling will be less annoying than my dad's daughter," she said.

April looked up at her curiously. "You have a sister?" she asked.

"Technically, yes," Rory replied. "I got to know her a little last year, but…I've never really been close with her. Or my dad."

"Do you think we'll get a sibling?" April asked.

Rory sighed and looked down at her. "If we do, we'll have some serious responsibility," she said. "I'll pass down my writing strategies, you'll be in charge of science projects."

April beamed up at Rory. "Deal," she said happily.

Two and a half hours later, after a quick check in at the diner, Lorelai stood outside her parents' house with a frown on her face. "So which one of us has food poisoning?" she asked.

"None of us," Rory rolled her eyes.

"Come on, we can tell them that we ate at the diner and now we're sick, they'll totally fall for that," Lorelai insisted.

"Thanks for that," Luke muttered.

"I'm not saying it's true, I'm saying they'll _believe_ it's true," Lorelai insisted.

"True," Luke nodded. "We could make that work."

Rory reached forward and rang the doorbell. "You've been around her too long," she informed Luke.

Lorelai gasped in pretend offense. "Excuse me, you spent eighteen years with me and turned out okay," she said.

"I didn't have a choice," Rory shrugged. "You bought the coffee."

"Well, that is the only reason I'm marrying Luke," Lorelai replied.

The door swung open before he could reply, and Emily beamed at them. "Rory!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to see you!"

She pulled Rory into the house and Lorelai sighed dramatically. "Thanks, Mom, great to see you too," she said as she led Luke and April inside.

"Richard, Rory's here!" Emily called into the living room.

"Did we become invisible?" April asked Lorelai.

"She's always been their favorite," Lorelai said. "It's okay, by the time the rolls are served you'll have outranked me."

"Rory!" Richard came into the hallway and embraced her warmly. "It's so good to have you back here!"

"Hi, Grandpa," she said.

"I've been following your articles on the internet," Richard informed her. "It's quite fascinating, don't you think, that you don't even have to print your information. You simply create it, press a button, and there it is!"

"Yeah, it's a crazy world we live in," Rory nodded.

"Hi, Dad!" Lorelai chirped.

"Hello, Lorelai," Richard barely glanced at her before he turned back to Rory. "Tell me, how do you have access to the internet when you're on the bus?"

"There's a wireless connection," Rory said. "It's a fancy bus."

"Okay, Mom, Dad, I know you're going through Rory withdrawal, but we have a guest," Lorelai said, placing her hands on April's shoulders. "This is April."

"Hello, April," Emily said. "We've heard quite a bit about you."

"Hi, Mrs. Gilmore, Mr. Gilmore," she said quietly.

"You're a scientist, I hear, is that correct?" Richard asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, I was going through my study last week and I found a first edition copy of _Inherit the Wind,"_ Richard stated. "Would you like to take a look?"

April's eyes lit up. "Sure!" she said. "Can I go, Dad?"

"Of course," Luke said.

"I want to see too!" Rory announced, following them into Richard's study.

Once they were gone, Lorelai turned to Emily. "So, Mom, are we going to get anything to drink, or just stand in the foyer all night?" she asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Follow me," she said. "I have sparkling water if you'd like that instead of wine."

Lorelai gripped Luke's arm tightly as she said through clenched teeth, "I'm not pregnant, Mom."

Emily raised her eyebrows as her gaze traveled to Lorelai's midsection. "My mistake," she said simply, her tone masking nothing. "Beer, Luke?"

She disappeared before he could respond and Lorelai turned to look at him. "What's her deal?" she hissed.

"Maybe she just wants another grandkid," Luke tried to defend her.

Lorelai put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Do I _look_ pregnant?" she asked. "Because she seemed to think that now I look pregnant!"

"Maybe it's just wishful thinking," Luke replied.

"Or maybe she's convincing herself that I'm pregnant and that's why we're getting married," Lorelai mused. "Hey, we could have some fun with this!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"We could tell her that I actually am pregnant, but then I'll proceed to drain every drop of alcohol on the cart," Lorelai replied. "Then I'll eat all the soft cheeses they have and smoke a cigar with my dad. Oh, the expression on her face would be priceless!"

"You're not doing that," Luke rolled his eyes.

She sighed dramatically. "You're no fun," she sighed.

"I know."

"Okay, well, we're never going to get those three out of the library," Emily sighed. "They've moved on to Richard's Charles Darwin publications."

Lorelai smiled as she sat down on the couch. "We may have to surgically remove April," she nodded.

Emily looked carefully at Luke. "She's a lovely girl," she said sincerely.

"Thank you," Luke nodded.

"Very much like Rory," Emily continued. "Curious and ambitious."

"Yeah, she's a smart one," Lorelai nodded.

"Are she and Rory getting along?" Emily asked.

"They've been talking nonstop," Lorelai confirmed. "You know how sisters are."

"Good," Emily said with a nod. "I'm sure that's a relief for both of you."

Luke nodded, then looked up when Rory and April entered the room, Richard following closely behind.

"This house is so cool!" April exclaimed. "Did you know Rory has her own portrait?"

Lorelai scoffed. "If you squint and tilt your head to the left, it starts to resemble Rory," she commented.

"Lorelai, please," Emily sighed. "April, Rory, would you like something to drink? We can move into the dining room for dinner."

"White wine, please," Rory requested.

"Certainly," Emily nodded. "April, we have ginger ale if you'd like some."

"Yes, please," April nodded.

Once they were all seated around the table, Emily turned to Rory and April, seated side by side. "So, girls, have you found dresses for the wedding yet?"

"Mom's making them," Rory reported.

"They're purple," April added.

"Purple?" Emily turned to Lorelai, who dropped her fork onto her plate.

"Yes, Mom," she replied. "Purple."

"Lorelai!"

She raised her hands in self defense. "How does purple get a _Lorelai?"_ she asked.

"You can't have purple at a Christmas wedding."

"Why not?" Lorelai asked.

"Because it's not done!"

"Since when have I ever cared about that?" Lorelai asked.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Well, clearly never," she said. "I once caught you wearing your Christmas socks in November."

"And the world's still spinning, isn't it?" Lorelai asked. "Mom, please. Things have been good, it's Thanksgiving. Can't we just enjoy a nice, normal, family dinner free of comments about weddings or babies?"

"Babies?" Rory asked, looking at her mother carefully.

"Non existent babies," Lorelai added, staring at Emily closely. "Please, Mom?"

Emily shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then nodded. "Fine," she said.

"Thank you," Lorelai said. She picked up her fork and turned to flash Luke a nervous smile.

"So, April," Richard said, leaning forward in his chair. "Rory tells me you'll be touring Chilton this weekend."

She nodded. "I'm not sure if it will work out, but I figured I'd at least look at it," she nodded.

"Have to use those connections, right, sweetie?" Lorelai asked with a warm smile directed at April.

"Well, I'm not exactly Headmaster Charleston's favorite person," Rory said, blushing with embarrassment.

"You are the greatest student that school has ever seen," Emily stated. "They'd be lucky to have April attend upon your recommendation."

"Just don't ring any bells while you're there," Lorelai advised. "Rory got in _big_ trouble for that particular offense."

Rory rolled her eyes. "It's more complicated than that," she said.

"Uh, not really," Lorelai replied.

"There are plenty of other schools in the area," Richard informed April. "Many of the boards are Yale alumnus. If you'd like me to make a phone call, I'd be happy to do so."

Luke reached to squeeze Lorelai's knee under the table and she nodded in understanding. "We've got it under control, Dad," she said. "Thanks."

Richard looked at her closely, then nodded. "All right, then," he nodded.

There was a moment of silence as everyone returned to their meals. After a beat, Lorelai leaned towards April and said, "After dinner I'll show you where Rory was held hostage the night before she left for Yale."

XXXXX

The following afternoon, Rory and April walked into a silent house. "I'm surprised they're not already here pestering you with questions," Rory commented as she walked towards the kitchen.

"Thanks for insisting you make it the two of us," April called as she walked into Rory's room. "I love our parents, but it was way less stressful without them there."

"Understood," Rory nodded. She picked up a note that rested on the kitchen table and called, "It looks like they went to the inn to talk to Sookie about the wedding dinner. They'll be home later."

"Okay," April appeared in the kitchen dressed in jeans and a sweater.

Rory started preparing the coffee pot as she asked, "So you really liked Chilton?"

"Yeah," April said as she sat down at the kitchen table. "It's a really great school. And if I want to get into an ivy league school, I can't stay in public school in New Mexico."

"I'm sure you could," Rory said. "You're pretty smart."

"Thanks," April smiled.

"Would you be okay leaving your mom?" Rory asked curiously.

April shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I love my mom, but Connecticut is my home, you know? It's not just Dad, but my friends and everything that's familiar to me is here."

Rory nodded slowly. "Yeah, I get that," she said. "No matter where I travel, it's always nice to have Stars Hollow to come home to."

"It's weird to have to choose," April said quietly. "It's always been Mom and me and now everything has changed."

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Rory said firmly. "It's nice to have another kid around. They're way more careful about their PDA when you're around."

April giggled slightly. "I'm glad you're going to be my sister," she said.

"I'm glad you're going to be my sister too," Rory said. "You know what we should do while the parents are out?"

"What?" April asked.

"Eat lots of junk food and give ourselves facials using Mom's fancy cream," Rory declared.

"Won't they get mad?" April asked.

Rory leaned forward. "Until you steal a boat and drop out of college, I think you're safe," she said.

"I thought you graduated from college," April frowned.

"I did," Rory nodded. "But there was a rough couple months where I got mixed up. My mom and I barely talked."

"I thought you're best friends."

"We are," Rory said. "It was a huge mistake on my part. But I graduated on time, and things are great with Mom now."

April nodded. "Can we give ourselves facials now?"

"If you get the candy, I'll get the moisturizer," Rory said.

Ten minutes later, they were seated side by side on the couch, their faces covered in blue facial cream. As Rory munched on a Mallomar, April peered into a box on the coffee table. "There are a bunch of pictures in here," she commented.

"Mom and I were going through them this morning," Rory replied. "She was trying to find pictures for Luke, for his wedding present." She paused. "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"I won't tell," April shook her head. "Can I look at them?"

"Sure," Rory said. They both reached into the box and pulled out a handful of pictures, looking through them quickly.

"This was at Aunt Liz's wedding, right?" April held up a picture of the ceremony, where Luke and Lorelai were captured in the background.

"Yeah," Rory nodded. "I wasn't there. But that was their first date."

"Lorelai looked so pretty," April observed. "They have pictures up in their room."

"I know," Rory sighed. She'd repacked those very frames into a storage unit following her mother's Luke purge. "Oh, look, it's my fifteenth birthday party!"

April peered over and smiled as she saw a group of Stars Hollow townies gathered on Lorelai's front porch. "Everyone looks so happy," she observed.

Rory nodded. "That was the great silly string contest of ninety nine," she nodded.

April took the picture and looked at it closely. "Are you sure they weren't dating?" she asked.

"Who?" Rory asked.

"Our parents," April replied. "Look how he's looking at her."

Rory rolled her eyes. "He's looked at her like that forever," she said. "They both lived in denial for years."

"I guess so," April said. She set the picture aside and returned to her own pile. "Wow, did my dad actually allow an event to take place in the diner?"

"Let me see," Rory said. She took the picture, then laughed slightly. "No, that was when my mom first bought her digital camera. She documented her life every five minutes for two days. I thought Luke's head was going to explode when she kept taking pictures of him while she waited for dinner."

April smiled. She reached into the box again and held up a picture. "When was this?" she asked.

"Oh, that was my first ice skating trip," Rory replied. "Remember, I told you how Luke helped me learn?"

April looked down at the picture of a much younger Rory, beaming as she stood between an equally younger looking Luke and Lorelai. The three of them were still wearing their ice skates, and the pond was frozen over in the background. "It's weird to think you guys were doing this while I was only a couple minutes away," she said. "I could have been part of it."

Rory nodded as she started to stack the pictures neatly. A lot would have been different in her own life if Luke had known about April from the beginning. "I'm sorry you missed that," she finally said. "I'm sorry he missed that."

"Do you ever wish your dad had been around more?" April asked.

Rory sighed. "I did," she admitted. "When I was your age, I wished that I was worth more than an obligatory birthday phone call. And when I got a little older, I was thrilled when we talked on the phone, once a week. Part of me really hoped that he'd start to come around more."

"And now?"

Rory shrugged. "Our situations are a lot different, April," she said. "Your dad didn't know about you, but he would have been there. My dad _did_ know about me, and he _chose_ not to be there. And the few times he did show up, he tried to get to my mom through me. Like I was… the lemon that comes with the iced tea. It's nice, but you don't miss it if it's not there."

April was quiet for a moment. "Wow, that's really sad," she said.

"It's okay, my mom loved me enough for a hundred parents," Rory replied. "I never felt unwanted."

"Me neither," April said. "I guess I just get sad, knowing that he was so close and I had no idea."

"Well, you should consider yourself lucky now," Rory replied. "Because you not only have a mom and a dad, you've got the best stepmother in the world. And a pretty great big sister too."

April smiled widely. "That's true," she said. "It makes up for all the years it was just me and Mom."

Rory shook her head slightly. As much as she was happy for her mother, she wouldn't trade the years they'd spent, just the two of them, for anything in the world.

Before either of them could continue the conversation, the front door opened and Lorelai breezed into the living room. "Oh my god," she exclaimed. "You're having facials without me?"

Rory popped a marshmallow into her mouth. "You weren't here," she said.

"Ugh, I can't believe I missed girl time to listen to Luke and Sookie argue about how much chocolate powder should go into a wedding cake," Lorelai said, dropping onto the couch between the two of them. "Got any good gossip for the mommy? How was Chilton?"

"Well, Headmaster Charleston is still blaming me for the fact that no one from Chilton has gone to Yale since I graduated," Rory sighed. "He was, however, impressed with April."

"Yeah?" Lorelai turned to April. "How'd you like it?"

"It seemed nice," April nodded. "I like that they have state of the art science labs. It would really help me to get into an Ivy League school."

"I'm glad you liked it," Lorelai said with a nod. She cringed slightly, and said, "Ugh, this means I'll have to join the boosters again."

"You were on the boosters?" April asked in surprise.

"Barely," Rory muttered, earning herself a glare from her mother.

"I put on an excellent fashion show fundraiser, thank you very much," Lorelai declared.

"Shouldn't _Luke_ be the one to join the booster club?" Rory suggested.

"Around those women?" Lorelai frowned. "Hell, no. I'd rather sit through that than let them get anywhere near my man."

"Where is the man of the house?" Rory asked, craning her neck towards the front door.

"Bringing home the bacon," Lorelai replied. "Literally. He's bringing dinner home from the diner."

Rory sighed dramatically. "I've had dreams about Luke's burgers," she said longingly.

"Hey, you're the one who chose to drive around the country and eat far less superior diner food," Lorelai shrugged.

"Entirely my fault, got it," Rory nodded.

Lorelai patted each girl on the knee and stood, heading for the stairs. "Okay, I'm going to go change, you two start thinking of the girliest movie we can make Luke watch tonight," she instructed.

April giggled and turned to Rory. "Your mom is awesome," she said.

Rory shook her head and looked up to the stairs. "Yeah, she is," she agreed softly.

An hour later, Luke had arrived home and spread a variety of food out on the kitchen table. As the girls eagerly dug into the buffet, he reached around Lorelai and placed a pile of brownies on the table. "Eat with caution, I double the amount of chocolate needed," he warned.

"Luke, will you marry me?" Lorelai flirted as she gleefully reached for a brownie.

"I'll think about it and get back to you," he replied. He turned to April and asked, "Did you call your mom this afternoon?"

"No," she said simply.

Her sharp tone caused Luke and Lorelai to exchange a glance, and Lorelai raised her eyebrows towards him expectantly. "She probably wanted to hear all about your visit to Chilton," he tried to prod.

April snapped the lid onto the ketchup bottle and placed it back on the table. "Well…she doesn't exactly _know_ that I signed up for a tour," she admitted.

"She _what?"_ Luke exclaimed, and Rory backed away from the table slightly, looking to her mother for any sort of direction as to what to do next.

"I just wanted to look, she didn't need to know," April said.

"Uh, yes she does," Luke replied, reaching for the phone. "Call her. Now."

"No."

Lorelai's eyes widened at April's defiant tone. She'd never heard her talk like that, and judging from the expression on Luke's face, he hadn't either.

"April, this isn't a choice," he said slowly, trying to remain calm. "If you're seriously considering this, it requires a huge decision between your mom, me, and the courts. You can't leave her in the dark and then decide you want this. She needs to know it's an option."

April slammed her plate down on the table. "She doesn't get that choice!" she cried. "I wasn't given a choice about getting to know you when I was little, so now she doesn't get a choice about this!"

"Your mom thought she was doing what was best," Luke replied.

"No she didn't, she was being selfish!" April cried. "She wanted me all to herself, and she came up with that stupid lame excuse of you not liking kids, which is totally not true! Because while I was spending my childhood making change in her store, you were here, helping Rory learn to ice skate and giving her pie at the diner!"

Rory's eyes widened, unsure of how she had become part of this.

"I would have been there, April, you know that," Luke said.

"I know, which is why Mom totally doesn't get to have a say about where I go to high school!" April said. "Not only did she keep me away from you for my whole life, she tried to destroy everything with Lorelai! She was jealous because Lorelai is fun and nice and would never, _ever_ do anything like she did."

With that, April turned and stormed into Rory's bedroom, slamming the door behind her. The three adults stood frozen in the kitchen for a long moment before Luke turned to Lorelai. "Where the hell did that come from?" he asked.

Lorelai sighed, and rested a hand on his shoulder. "We officially have a teenage girl in the house again," she said.

"That was more than just being a teenage girl," Luke frowned. "You were never like that," he said to Rory.

"Uh, yes she was," Lorelai replied. "Except she didn't want to go to Chilton. Because of a boy. Dean, to be specific."

Luke frowned as he turned to her. "You were going to give up Chilton for a boy?" he asked.

"Don't get mad at me," Rory said defensively. "Mom totally won that argument."

"Hi, let's focus on what we need to here," Lorelai said. "Rory, you take Luke into the living room and tell him about the time you and Lane got into a fight because you accused her of taking your Spice Girls CD…"

" _Your_ Spice Girls CD."

"Whatever, just enlighten him on the inner workings of the mind of a teenager girl," Lorelai said. "I'll channel my inner Judy Blume and see if I can get her to talk."

Luke frowned towards the door. "Are you sure I shouldn't talk to her?" he asked.

"Eventually," Lorelai nodded, leading him gently towards the living room. "I've got this. I promise." She looked up at him closely for a moment, silently asking if it was okay that she take this much responsibility in April's life. She was relieved when he reached out to rub her arm.

"Thanks," he said softly.

She shrugged and turned to Rory. "Tell him about the time you cried for a week because you hit a squirrel when you were learning to drive," she suggested.

She walked back into the kitchen, grabbing a plate of French fries before she knocked gently on Rory's door. She cracked it open at April's muffled acknowledgement, then sat down gently on her bed. "Well, that was quite the performance you gave out there," she said softly.

"Sorry," April muttered, sitting up against the headboard and not meeting Lorelai's gaze.

"It's okay," Lorelai said. "I've certainly had my moments. You want to talk?"

April shrugged. "I just hate it so much," she said. "That he was here, with you and Rory, and I could have been part of it. She refused to even give him a chance."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "It makes him sad too," she said. "But April, your dad was pretty different back then. He was still a great guy, who did a lot for me and Rory, but we weren't dating. He had his own life, and so did we. We were never a happy, sitcom family."

"But he was here," April said. "And she wouldn't let me know him. Who does that?"

Lorelai was silent for a moment, not wanting to tell April that she agreed with her on that point. After a long moment, she said, "You know when you do a science experiment, and before you begin you make a prediction?"

"A hypothesis," April corrected, ever the technical perfectionist.

"Right, a hypothesis," Lorelai nodded. "When you make that hypothesis, you work to prove that it's correct, right?"

"So?" April narrowed her eyes.

"So, you don't always prove the hypothesis correct," Lorelai said gently. "Sometimes what you predicted completely changes course and evolves into something else. Your mom thought she was doing the right thing when she made the choice to raise you alone. Trust me, it's not an easy choice."

April sighed and uncrossed her arms. "This is my home," she said. "Not _here,_ here, I mean, I like it here, but Connecticut. She just packed me up and shipped me out there, and I miss it here. I want to come home."

"Okay," Lorelai said. "You're growing up, April. I think if you can sit down and talk to your mother, rationally and calmly, maybe she and your dad can come up with a plan. But you can't just make all these choices without talking to her. From a mom perspective, it's not cool. You need to tell her how you feel, and maybe she'll surprise you."

April reached tentatively for a French fry. "Okay," she sighed.

"And," Lorelai leaned forward, a small smile on her face. "I think you should talk to your dad. He was a little thrown off by that Oscar winning performance a couple minutes ago."

"I will," April said. She finished the French fry in her hand and said, "Thanks."

Lorelai smiled warmly. "Happy I could help," she said.

April stood with her, and reached out to hug her tightly. "I'm really glad you're going to be my stepmother," she said.

"Me too, sweetie," she said. "Just remember you have a really great mom who loves you more than anything."

April wiped her eyes slightly, then followed Lorelai into the living room. "Well, I got her out of the bedroom, so it's an all around victory," Lorelai announced. "Hey, Rory, can you help me with the coffee?"

Rory picked up on her mother's not so subtle attempts to give Luke and April a moment together, and hurried to escape to the kitchen. "I am really sorry if I ever made an outburst like that," she said once they were in the privacy of the kitchen.

Lorelai shrugged. "Par for the course," she said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" Rory asked.

"Well, your name came up a couple times in April's Clueless moment there," Lorelai explained, sitting down at the kitchen table. "A hint of sibling rivalry was detected."

"I did feel a little bad for telling her about those things," Rory said softly.

"It's okay, Rory, we're not going to ignore the past," Lorelai said. "I don't want you to lose the memories you have of Luke because you feel badly for April."

Rory sighed as she leaned back in her seat. "I don't know, I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed by all of it," she said honestly. "I'm happy for you, Mom, I really am."

"But?" Lorelai prompted.

"But…things just seemed easier when I was living here and it was just the two of us," Rory said softly. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Lorelai said. "I'm glad to know what you're thinking. And Rory, I wouldn't trade anything about those years for anything. We had such a great time together, didn't we?"

Rory smiled sadly. "It makes me sad it won't ever be like that again," she said.

"Me too," Lorelai said. "But we've both grown up. You're doing an amazing job on the road. And now I'm finally ready to make some grown up choices for myself. Well thought out, real choices, that are permanent."

Rory didn't say anything, but stood and reached for two coffee cups.

Lorelai turned to look at her carefully. "I never apologized to you," she said.

"For what?" Rory asked, handing her a cup of coffee.

"For not realizing how much my choices have effected you," Lorelai said. "I should have checked in with you, throughout all of it. I kept promising it was going to work out, with Max, then your dad, then Luke, then your dad again, and now Luke again. You kept getting your hopes up."

Rory nodded slowly. "I just want you to be happy," she said softly.

Lorelai smiled softly. "I love you for that," she said. "But there are still some concerns bouncing around in that pretty head of yours, aren't there?"

"I believe you believe it's going to work," Rory said hesitantly. "I know you say things are different this time, but it's hard to know for sure."

"I can't blame you for that," Lorelai said. She took a sip of coffee and thought about Luke's comments during her middle of the night breakdown earlier that week. She hadn't wanted Rory to know that she'd gone to counseling, not wanting to destroy the image of herself as Rory's role model that she'd described in her high school graduation speech. But upon reflecting on how Rory was still concerned about her upcoming wedding, she knew she had to let go of the promise she'd made herself months ago.

"Rory, I know I've said this before," Lorelai said, not meeting her daughter's eyes. "But things are different this time. _Really,_ truly, different." She cleared her throat and said, "I, um, got some help talking through my emotional baggage. And now the forklift is gone. All that's left is a tiny bit that fits into a cute, designer purse."

"Help?" Rory asked. "What kind of help?"

Lorelai swallowed hard. "I spent a few months in counseling," she said. "I know I used to joke about it a lot, but after your dad and I broke up, I was entirely, completely alone for the first time in my life. And that was scary to me. I'd never gotten over losing Luke, and I just wanted someone to talk to."

"You could have talked to me," Rory said.

Lorelai shook her head slightly. "I love you, Rory, but there were some pretty scary demons running around up here," she tapped the side of her head. "I needed to talk to someone who had absolutely no involvement in my life. I could be completely honest with her, and told her everything."

"So it helped?" Rory asked.

"It did," Lorelai said. "We created a safe zone, and were able to work through all of our issues with her there as a buffer."

"We?" Rory repeated. "Luke was there too?"

"For part of it," Lorelai nodded. "I'd been going for a few months, while you were still at Yale. I worked through some of my own issues, and then when you left, I realized I had to face the fact that I was still…focused on Luke. I knew that I loved him, but I couldn't be with him because I didn't trust him and he didn't trust me. So I told him that I was trying to work through it with Abby, and he offered to go with me."

"Wow," Rory said softly. "I never knew."

"I know," Lorelai said. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry or think that I was one step away from being committed."

"I wouldn't have thought that," Rory said. "In fact, I think it's great."

"You do?" Lorelai asked.

Rory nodded. "It must have been pretty difficult," she said. "You've never been one to talk about your feelings. It shows a lot of strength to admit your faults like that."

"I guess," Lorelai said, thinking back to how relieved she'd been to have Luke there with her as they'd talked through their mistakes. "But I'm telling you about this now because I want you to know why things are so different. I'm not pushing my fears and emotions aside. I'm not jumping blindly. Luke and I have talked through every single one of our concerns and fears. We've put the past behind us, and are focusing completely on the future. Things are real this time, Rory, I promise. I've faced all those scary thoughts that have been floating around in my head, and I'm ready. Really ready."

Rory nodded slowly. "Okay," she said.

"Okay?" Lorelai repeated, wondering exactly what that meant.

"Okay," Rory said. "I guess having all that information, knowing that you've really worked through it all, makes it seem more real."

"Good," Lorelai said. She glanced towards the living room and asked, "Do you think it's safe to get back in there yet?"

"Well, there hasn't been any yelling or door slamming," Rory observed.

"Do you think they've been sitting there in silence this whole time?" Lorelai asked.

"I'd say it was a significant possibility," Rory nodded.

"I should go check on them," Lorelai sighed, preparing to stand.

"Mom?"

"Yeah, hon?"

Rory was silent for a moment before she said, "Thank you. For telling me. It really does make me feel better."

Lorelai leaned down and kissed the top of Rory's head. "I'm glad," she said. "And hey? In the future, even though you're all grown up and traveling the world, tell me if something bugs you. I know I've been pretty selfish, but I'm working on it. And I'll always be your mom."

"Okay," Rory said.

Lorelai led her back into the living room where Luke was picking at his food. "Hey, April didn't run away, did she?" she asked, glancing around the living room.

"No, I finally got her to call Anna," he said, pointing towards the front door. "She went outside for some privacy."

"Did you talk?" Lorelai asked, sitting down beside him as Rory sat down on the floor.

"Yeah," he said. "She started talking about making a hypothesis and how it changes over the course of an experiment. I didn't exactly follow, but we agreed that she should tell Anna about wanting to come back here."

"Good," Lorelai said.

"Hey, if April goes to Chilton, she could probably fit into my old uniform," Rory offered.

"Maybe she'll let me hem the skirt," Lorelai mused.

"Her skirt doesn't need to be hemmed," Luke said immediately.

"Whatever, Grandpa," Lorelai rolled her eyes. "So you survived your first full fledged teenage tantrum. How do you feel?"

"Hopefully that was the worst of it," Luke sighed.

"Oh, sweet, innocent Luke," Lorelai sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You've got at _least_ another ten years of this. I mean, look at her."

"What did I do?" Rory frowned.

"Ran away to my parents, twice, stayed out all night with your boyfriend, dropped out of college, stole a boat, tried to hook up with a boy at my parents' wedding…"

"Yes, but I also made up for all of those things," Rory replied.

Lorelai shrugged. "Hey, I'm not judging, you're living proof of my teenage years," she said.

"Are you trying to make me feel better?" Luke asked. "Because it's not working."

Lorelai laughed and shook her head. "I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just saying that everyone makes poor choices as a teenager," she said. "Some are more life changing than others, but it's part of growing up. Rory and I both turned out okay, and so will April."

"I guess," he sighed. "I don't know how to handle this."

"Well, if you play your cards right, you have a very good chance of marrying an expert," Lorelai informed him. "I'll help you through it."

"Thanks," he said.

"And don't pretend that you were the perfect teenager," Rory piped up. "I've heard stories."

"Stories?" Lorelai perked up. "What kind of stories?"

Rory smiled as she saw Luke narrow his eyes suspiciously. "Well, your fiancé is a legend at Stars Hollow High," she announced.

"What kind of legend?" Lorelai asked.

"He got caught making out with Crazy Carrie under the bleachers during the homecoming game," Rory reported.

"You _what?"_ Lorelai exclaimed, turning to smack Luke's arm. "Luke!"

"I did not make out with her," he insisted. "Did Liz tell you that?"

"Nope, it's a homecoming story they tell every year," Rory replied. "Butch Danes, broken hearted over a temporary break up with Rachel, being seduced by Crazy Carrie during the bonfire."

"I can't believe they're telling people that," he grumbled.

Loreali frowned. "I can't believe you made out with her," she exclaimed. "She's a total slut!"

"Lorelai, it was twenty years ago," he said dismissively.

"Uh, yeah, but she still comes into the diner and checks you out," Lorelai replied.

"She does not."

"Last week she purposely spilled her water on the floor just so she could look at your butt while you cleaned it up."

"Is that why you offered to help?" Luke asked.

"Well, yeah, I wasn't going to do manual labor unless I had to claim my territory," Lorelai shrugged. "Don't worry, I made sure that my engagement ring was extra sparkly that day, just so she wasn't confused."

"You're horrible," Luke informed her.

"No, I'm protecting you from the town whore," Lorelai scoffed.

"I can protect myself just fine," Luke stated.

Lorelai turned to Rory. "I bet that's what he said before they ended up under the bleachers," she said.

The front door opened then, and April walked inside slowly. "Hey, sweetie," Lorelai called. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," April nodded, slipping onto the couch beside Luke. "I'm sorry I yelled."

"No big deal, we've all done it," Lorelai smiled.

"What did your mom say?" Luke asked.

"She said she gets it, she misses it here too, and we can talk about it when I get home," April said. "She said she'll call you later in the week."

"Okay," Luke took a deep breath.

Rory reached for her ringing cell phone and retreated to the kitchen to answer it, and Lorelai looked past Luke to examine April closely. "You sure you're okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," April nodded. "I might take a shower, if that's okay."

"Sure," Lorelai smiled.

"I put some clean towels in the closet," Luke added.

"Thanks," April said as she headed up the stairs.

Lorelai turned to look at Luke. "Never a dull moment," she commented.

"Guess not," he sighed. "I have to call Anna this week."

"I know it's hard," Lorelai said softly. "If you want I'll buy you dinner that night."

"Would you be okay with it?" Luke asked. "April coming to live here?"

"Of course," Lorelai nodded. "She's welcome here anytime, you know that. I just want to make sure it's well thought out and not a knee jerk reaction to resenting her mom."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Does the worry ever go away?" he asked.

"No," Lorelai said honestly.

"Thanks for sugar coating it."

Lorelai smiled softly. "Take it from someone who's been worried for the better part of twenty four years," she said. "Making them happy totally outweighs the worry."

He sighed and reached out to rub her knee softly. "Thanks for helping with her," he murmured. "I really don't know what I would have done without you here."

Lorelai smiled as she leaned forward to kiss him. "Remember that next time I'm begging for coffee and you kick me out of the diner," she requested before she kissed him again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! I love hearing how much you're all enjoying the story, and I hope you'll continue to read.**

 **Also...14 weeks from today we'll all be back in Stars Hollow. Just saying.**

* * *

"Do you ever work?" Luke asked as he refilled Lorelai's cup of coffee.

"Sick of me?" Lorelai raised her eyebrows suspiciously.

"No, I'm just wondering if anyone else has a shot at getting any coffee this morning," he replied.

Lorelai rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee. "I was enjoying looking at my fiancé until he started being mean to me," she said with a scoff.

Luke took a plate of eggs out of the window and delivered it to a table, picking up a check on his way back to the register. "Hey, I'm not complaining," he said as he counted out change.

"I'm on my way home, actually," Lorelai said. "Tobin had a conflict, so I'm taking the late shift tonight."

He frowned as he pushed the register drawer shut. "I don't like you there by yourself late at night," he told her.

"It's not a big deal, I used to take the night shift all the time when Rory was little," Lorelai replied.

"I know, but the Dragonfly is smaller, more remote," Luke said.

She offered him an affectionate smile. "I'll be fine, Luke, I promise," she said. "At the first bump in the night I'll call you to come protect me."

"Good," he said with a nod. "Want me to bring you dinner later?"

"Nah, I'll stop by before I head to the inn," she said, draining her coffee. "Kiss?" He leaned over the counter and obliged, and she picked her purse up from the counter before flashing him a smile. "Save me a burger for dinner?"

"Always," he promised, handing her a to go cup of coffee.

She sighed happily and walked out the door, strolling towards her house. It was rare that she worked late nights anymore, and she wanted to get some laundry (and a nap) in before she did so. The late morning fall sun warmed her skin and she basked in the feeling. Soon enough winter would come, and as much as she loved snow and scarves, the fleeting warmth was welcome for the time being.

As she rounded the corner and left the town square behind her, she smiled softly at the sight of Luke's old house before her. She couldn't believe that she'd never known how close he'd grown up to where she and Rory had lived for years, but now every time she walked past it, she could see different stories he'd told her taking place; the ice rink his dad had built for him, the tree he and Liz had climbed, and the red front door she'd seen pictures of his parents standing outside of with their newborn son.

She raised her eyebrows as she approached the house and saw a real estate sign posted on the lawn. As she stepped closer and tilted her head to the side, she saw a young, brown haired woman step out of the front door.

"Sorry," she murmured as she stepped back onto the sidewalk. "Um, is this your house?"

"For now," the woman replied. "My husband's been transferred, so we're relocating to Providence. We just put the house on the market this morning."

Lorelai nodded as she turned to look at it. "I'm sure it will go fast," she said. "It's beautiful."

"I hope so," the woman replied. She looked at her carefully before she asked, "You're Lorelai, right? The one who makes town meetings fun?"

Lorelai ducked her head slightly and shrugged. "I think that depends who you ask, but yeah…I'm Lorelai."

"I'm Allison," she said, holding her hand out.

"Nice to meet you," Lorelai said, shaking her hand. "Good luck with the house and the move."

"Thanks," Allison said. "It's been a great home. Our kids love it, it's going to be hard to leave."

Lorelai nodded politely. "Well, I'm sure it will go to a good family," she said. "This town is full of them."

"That's true," Allison nodded. "Hey, are you interested?"

"What?" Lorelai asked, her head snapping up. "Oh, no. I have a house."

"Okay," Allison said. "If you change your mind, let me know."

"Thanks," Lorelai said, turning back towards the house. "It really is beautiful."

Allison smiled slowly. "Yeah, it is," she nodded.

"Thanks for talking," Lorelai said, turning back to her house. A knot was forming in her stomach, and she quickly realized that laundry and napping would have to wait. She had bigger things to think about.

XXXXX

Twelve hours later, Lorelai was seated behind the desk in her office at the Dragonfly, staring at the scheduling spreadsheet. She'd been trying to focus on the overtime schedule for the Christmas season for the past forty five minutes, but she couldn't stop thoughts of her and Luke's future from swimming through her head.

He'd known something was up at dinner. She'd stopped at the diner for a burger as promised, but she'd eaten as quickly as possible and denied his offer of a to go cup of coffee. He'd asked what was bugging her and she'd promised that she would talk to him about it in the morning. She didn't want this conversation to take place at the diner during a busy dinner rush while Luke was working.

But now she couldn't stop her brain from churning and she glanced at the clock, noting that Luke would probably be just finishing up his closing routine. Before she could think twice, she picked up the phone and dialed the diner.

"Hey, it's me," she said when he answered after several rings.

"Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

"Oh, yeah, all's quiet on the Western Front," Lorelai confirmed. "I'm fine, I just…are you done cleaning?"

"Just finishing up the grill," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. "Um, at the risk of sounding clingy and desperate…can you come over when you're done?"

"Of course," he said. He paused before he asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Lorelai contemplated his question for a moment. "I think so," she said honestly. "I'm just thinking about something, and I don't want to talk about it over the phone."

"Okay," he said hesitantly. "We're okay, right?"

Lorelai smiled softly. "We're perfect," she confirmed. "Wedding's still on, don't worry."

She could hear the relief in his voice when he said, "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thanks," she said softly. "I…love you."

"I love you too," Luke said, his voice warm and soft. Somehow, hearing him say those words helped Lorelai to know that everything would be okay.

Half an hour later, she heard the front door open and she stepped out of her office to meet Luke in the dimly lit foyer. "Hi," she said, her eyes sparkling when she saw the coffee in his hand. "You are so my favorite fiancé right now."

He handed her the coffee and leaned in for a kiss before he took his coat off. "So what's up?" he asked, his expression anxious and concerned.

"Here, let me take that," she said, reaching for his coat and stashing it into her office with hers. "Let's talk in the library."

Luke followed her to the library and settled down beside her on the couch. She took a sip of coffee, then said, "Thanks for coming all the way out here. I know it's late."

"It's no problem," he said. "But honestly, Lorelai, the suspense is kind of driving me crazy here."

"Right, sorry," she said. She took a deep breath, looked down at the floor, then squared her shoulders and turned to face him. "Your house is for sale."

He blinked in surprise. That was clearly nowhere near what he'd been expecting her to say. "Okay," he said slowly.

"And it got me thinking," Lorelai said. "Thanksgiving was so great, having the girls here, but it was kind of crowded."

He nodded slowly. "Their visits won't overlap that often," he offered.

"But what happens when Rory brings someone home?" Lorelai asked.

"He'll sleep on the porch."

"Luke, I'm serious," she said. "We don't have enough room. Rory and April are too old to be sharing that room. And when we have a baby, what are we going to do, just stick a crib in between their beds?"

"So…you want to buy my old house?" Luke asked.

"Yes…no…I don't know," Lorelai said. "I want to talk about it. Something has to change."

"Okay, so let's talk about it," Luke said. He was quiet for a moment before he said, "You didn't want to sell the house before."

"I know," Lorelai nodded. "But, Luke, everything was different back then. Everything. I loved that you'd bought that house because it meant you were thinking about our future. But I was a little hurt that you hadn't told me, and at that point Rory and I were barely talking. My head was a mess and I wanted to hold onto the house because it was the only connection I had to her."

Luke nodded slowly. "Okay, so what's changed now?" he asked.

"Now," Lorelai smiled softly. "We have April. And hopefully by this time next year a baby, or at least one on the way."

"What about Rory?" he asked, reaching out to twirl a strand of her hair around his fingers.

She smiled at the familiar gesture. "Rory and I are good now," she said.

"I know that, but it's her home," he said. "And yours."

"Exactly," Lorelai said. "Look, a part of me hates that Rory and I won't ever live in the same house, permanently again. But the house is…ours. Hers and mine. Sure, you and April are welcome there and I love having you there, but…I don't know. I want a house that's ours, Luke and Lorelai's."

He nodded slowly. "Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

She shrugged. "It's not that I'm not sad about it," she said. "But it's a good kind of sad, to make way for something new. Not better, but just as good. Like when Mia sold the Independence Inn and I could finally open the Dragonfly. Or when Rory started her job and I could focus on fixing our relationship. Even when we moved out of the potting shed into our current house. It's part of life, right? Letting go of the old to make way for the new."

"Okay," he said slowly. "This is kind of out of left field. With Christmas and the wedding coming up…I don't know, I hadn't really thought about anything else."

"Me neither," Lorelai admitted. "But then I saw the for sale sign and talked to the owner and…I don't know. If we're going to move, I'd rather do it soon. Because I'm not going to be moving heavy furniture once I'm pregnant."

He gave her a dubious glance. "Like you'd do that anyway," he said.

She giggled slightly. "My point is, we should start thinking about it," she said. "Even if we don't buy _your_ house, I think we need to buy _a_ house."

"Did you go inside?" Luke asked.

"No," Lorelai said. "I wanted to do that with you. I kind of know what it feels like to be on the other end of the buying a house without talking about it scenario, and I figured we should talk before I did anything."

Luke winced. "I can't believe I did that," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," she shook her head. "The intent was there, and it was sweet. But we've both grown, and we're a lot better about communicating, if I do say so myself."

"We are," he agreed.

"So now that I've put it out there," Lorelai said. She looked at him closely. "What are your thoughts?"

He sighed. "I don't know," he said honestly. "I hadn't thought past the wedding."

"We don't have to make a decision tonight," Lorelai said. "I kind of ambushed you with this."

"I'm glad you called me over," he admitted. "I was worried something was really wrong."

"Nah, just my crazy brain wouldn't stop buzzing," Lorelai said.

"We could at least look at the house," Luke said. "It's been twenty years since I've sold it, I'm sure it looks different inside."

"I'll call the realtor in the morning," Lorelai confirmed. "I really am sorry for throwing this at you."

He leaned forward to kiss her softly. "Don't be sorry," he said. "It's a big decision, you're right, we should start thinking about it."

"I feel better," she said honestly. "Thanks for talking me through my inner meltdown. Again."

"Don't mention it," he said with a warm smile.

"You're probably tired," she said, reaching to rub his arm. "Go home, I'll be there in a bit. Tobin should be here in an hour or so."

"I can stay if you want," Luke offered.

"That's sweet, but I have some stuff to do," she said. "Plus, Paul Anka probably needs a walk."

He rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Now I know why you volunteered to work late," he muttered as he stood.

"You got me," she giggled, following him into the foyer. She retrieved his coat from her office and then reached up to kiss him. "Hey, don't go right to sleep, okay? I have plans."

He raised his eyebrows, intrigued. "Plans?" he asked.

"Plans," she confirmed with a nod.

His gaze was heavy as he leaned towards her. "Will I approve of these plans?" he asked, his voice low.

Lorelai smiled and reached up to kiss him. "I think so," she said. "You, me, and the bed. And maybe the shower."

Luke leaned down to kiss her. "Hurry home?" he requested.

"You got it," she said. She stood in the doorway as she watched him walk down the steps. Her head was still full, she was still confused about what she wanted about their future living arrangements, but she felt better after having talked to Luke. As she turned back towards her office, she felt herself marvel at how _good_ it felt to call him when something was bothering her and know that he would be there to listen.

They really had grown up.

XXXXX

The following afternoon, Lorelai bounded into the diner and greeted Luke with a wide smile. "Hi," she said.

He frowned at her as he automatically reached to pour her a cup of coffee. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like you're up to something."

Lorelai gasped. "I am up to nothing!" she exclaimed. "I just came to say hello to my handsome, thoughtful, considerate husband to be."

He returned the coffeepot to the machine and turned back to her, crossing his arms over his chest. "What did you do?"

"Well," Lorelai drew out the word. "Now that you mention it…I _may_ have called the realtor of the house."

He visibly relaxed. "That's it?" he asked. "I knew you were going to set up a viewing."

"Right, you did," Lorelai confirmed. "There's just…a tiny bit of a complication that I didn't exactly foresee."

"Complication?" Luke asked. "Is it already sold?"

"No, it's not sold," Lorelai said slowly. "But, well, I kind of assumed that the woman I talked to yesterday was the owner. What I hadn't realized was that she and her husband were renting."

"So what's the big deal?" Luke asked. "We'll just negotiate with the owner."

"Right, the owner," Lorelai nodded. "That would be the normal thing to do. Except the owner may not be the most rational person in the world."

Luke reached his hands over his head and locked his fingers together. "Tell me it's not Taylor," he requested.

"No," Lorelai replied. "It's not Taylor."

"So who is it?" Luke asked.

"Kirk," Lorelai cringed as she hid her face behind her coffee cup, anticipating Luke's reaction.

"What?" he shouted. "How the hell does Kirk own that house?"

"I don't know, but please just stay calm," Lorelai said.

"Calm?" Luke shouted. "I'm not going to stay calm! It was bad enough being in a bidding war with him last time, now I have to try to negotiate with him?"

"Bidding war?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," Luke said, calming slightly. "He wanted the Twickham house and kept outbidding me."

"You never told me that," Lorelai frowned.

He shrugged. "I didn't think about it," he said. "But now we have to negotiate the new house with him?"

"Look, let's not jump the gun," Lorelai replied. "I got the lock box code, we can head over anytime this afternoon."

"Okay," he sighed, looking around the diner. "Let me get through the lunch rush?"

"As long as my stunning appearance doesn't distract you," Lorelai said with a smile.

He reached out to squeeze her arm before he turned back to the coffeepot and did a lap around the diner. "Does his offer at least sound reasonable?" he asked.

"Well, it's within our budget," Lorelai nodded. "Maybe a little over, but I can give up vegetables to cut everyday expenses."

"How big of you," he said dryly.

"Look, let's just go see it and go from there," Lorelai suggested. "Maybe we'll decide we want another house."

"Okay," Luke sighed.

"Now get to work, and then we can go give Kirk all our money," Lorelai said. "Kidding!" she added when she saw Luke's dubious gaze.

Almost an hour later, Lorelai laced her fingers through Luke's as they walked past the gazebo. "Stop thinking," she requested.

"I can't," he replied. "I hate that Kirk owns this place."

"Stop thinking about Kirk, and just think about the house," she replied. "All that matters is that we go inside and look around. If we can see ourselves and our girls and our future kids there, then we'll deal with Kirk. Okay?"

He let out a stressed breath and then nodded. "Okay," he nodded.

"Thank you," she smiled.

When the approached the house, Lorelai stopped on the sidewalk and commented, "I can see you playing in the yard when you were a kid."

"It's where I learned to play baseball," Luke murmured. "I never thought I'd be back here."

Lorelai smiled softly. "I know," she said. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding towards the door. "Go for it."

Lorelai pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and entered the code, quickly punching it in. The lockbox popped open and she produced a key. She gently slid it into the lock, then turned to Luke. "After you."

He took her hand as he pushed the door open. She smiled as she followed him inside, taking in the foyer. "Wow," he murmured. "It looks…the same. Newer, I guess, but the same."

Lorelai smiled as she watched an expression of familiarity wash over his face. "Take me on the tour," she requested gently.

Luke took the few steps forward and tugged her towards the left. "This is where my mom's piano was," he said. "She used to play for me and Liz after dinner."

"That's sweet," Lorelai murmured. He pulled her back across the foyer and past the stairs.

"Dining room," he said. There were glass cabinets lining the wall in front of them, and large picture windows faced the side yard. He pulled her through a swinging door and let out an impressed, "Oh, wow."

"What?" Lorelai asked, pushing past him to step into the kitchen. A large island sat in the middle of the room, and stainless steel appliances gleamed from the walls. The counters were all covered in marble, and beyond the kitchen was a breakfast nook where a large dining table was surrounded by several large picture windows, from which the backyard was visible. "You're going to leave me for this kitchen, aren't you?" she teased.

Luke ignored her but stepped forward to examine the stove carefully. "This equipment is amazing," he murmured.

Lorelai smiled as she watched him, loving the way he seemed to be really taking the details into account. "Hi, remember me?" she asked after a moment.

"Sorry," he sighed, straightening and turning to her.

"It's okay, I just want to see the rest of the house," she said.

He nodded and led her through an archway. "Living room," he said. A couch was arranged in the center of the large room, and several built in bookcases surrounded a TV shelf. "And this is where Rory will live."

"What is it?" Lorelai asked. He dragged her across the room and pushed open a door in the corner to reveal a small room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, interrupted only by two windows and a fireplace.

Luke smiled as he ushered her into the room. "The library."

"Oh my God," Lorelai gasped as she took in the room. "You grew up with this room in your house and you don't like to read?"

"I read," he said defensively. "Just not like those braniac kids of ours."

Lorelai smiled softly. "This could work," she said. "Rory will never want to leave."

Luke reached for her hand and tugged on it gently. "Come upstairs."

"I bet you always wanted to say that to a girl," she said teasingly as she followed him to the staircase. She could see Luke shedding his inhibitions as he dragged her up the stairs, and she dared to allow herself to hope this might work out.

"This is my parents' room," he said as he stopped at the top of the stairs and opened a door to the right.

"Oh, I bet we're not allowed in there," Lorelai nudged him gently with her elbow.

Luke rolled his eyes. "The master bedroom," he corrected as he stepped inside.

"Our bedroom," Lorelai said hesitantly.

"Maybe," Luke shrugged, but she saw a brief expression of hope flash across his face. She pushed the thought aside for a moment before she turned to take in the room, the soft white carpeting, the window seat with a dark blue cushion, and two doors to their left. "Closets?" she asked hopefully.

"One's a closet," he nodded. "One's a bathroom."

Lorelai pushed the first door open and nodded approvingly. "Two sinks," she commented. "Oh, a Jacuzzi tub!"

"They've apparently changed a lot since I lived here."

"That could lead to some great sex," Lorelai informed him. "And on those nights where you work late…those jets could do great things for a girl."

"Lorelai," he rolled his eyes.

"Right, sorry, I forgot you're in your parents' room," she nodded. She stepped past him to open the door to the closet, gasping in delight. "Oh my god!"

"What?"

"It's huge!" she squealed. "It's bigger than the shed Rory and I lived in for years."

"It is not."

"Practically," Lorelai shrugged. She turned to look at him. "Show me your room."

He ushered her out of the master bedroom and led her down the hall. "Second bedroom," he gestured to the right.

"Standard," Lorelai nodded.

"This was the guest room," he said, pointing to the left. "Small, but manageable."

"A good nursery." Lorelai heard herself say.

Luke offered her a small smile. "Maybe," he repeated his word from earlier.

"This was Liz's room," he said, opening a door at the end of the hall.

"It's nice," Lorelai said, taking in the purple walls. "Girly."

"Good for one of the girls."

"Probably April," Lorelai nodded. "Rory will move into the library."

"We'll see," Luke shrugged. He turned to their right and opened a door beside the second bathroom. "This was my room."

"I've never been in a boy's room before," Lorelai gushed. Luke shot her a look and she grew serious. "Sorry." She took in the blue wallpaper and soft blue carpet, trying to picture a teenage Luke, surrounded by baseball cards and track trophies, listening to music or hanging out with his friends in this room. "So this is where you grew up, huh?"

"Since they day my parents brought me home from the hospital," Luke said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Huh," Lorelai said, stepping into the center of the room. It was empty now, and she asked, "Where was your bed?"

"Lorelai," he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not trying to be dirty," she promised. "I just want a visual."

"In that corner," Luke pointed to the corner opposite the door. "The dresser was on this wall. The desk was over here, at the bottom of the window. Bookshelf was over there."

Lorelai nodded, looking around the room slowly. She walked to the corner where he'd pointed out the bed would have been and sat down against the wall, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked softly.

"Thinking," Lorelai said. "Trying to imagine a teenage Butch Danes."

Luke nodded slowly and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Lorelai, we don't have to decide anything right now."

"But we should talk."

"Not how," he said. "Not here."

"Why not?" she asked. "You grew up in this room. I bet you did a lot of thinking here. Why not revisit the old days?"

"Okay."

"Come sit with me."

Luke didn't waste any time crossing the room to sit beside her, stretching his legs out in front of himself and resting a hand on her knee.

"Tell me about it," she whispered.

"Not much to tell," Luke shrugged. "Liz left with Jess when my dad got sick. After he died and I decided to convert the store into a diner, I sold this place to help with the costs. It didn't make sense to live here on my own. It's too big for that."

"It's a big house," Lorelai agreed. "Perfect for a family."

"It's not too big though," Luke added, sensing her hesitation based on her experience growing up in Hartford.

"It's a perfect house," Lorelai nodded. "We'd have room for our kids here."

"More than enough," Luke agreed. "And the girls."

"We're old."

"Thanks, that feels good."

"I mean," Lorelai said with a laugh. "The kids thing. It might be hard."

"I know," Luke sighed. "But…even if we don't have kids, I'll be okay. I just want you."

"What if we don't have them?" Lorelai asked. "What if April stays in New Mexico? Then it would just be you and me in this huge house most of the time."

Luke reached out to take her hand. "I think we should by this house. Coming here…I remember how much it means to me. I think you love it too. But," he added quickly as Lorelai opened her mouth to reply. "I think we should keep your house too."

Lorelai blinked in surprise. "You want two houses?" she repeated.

"For now," Luke shrugged. "You were right, we don't have enough room. Especially if someone else comes along." Lorelai smiled as he traced his fingers over her stomach. "It's a buyer's market. We can buy this house and rent it out, make up at least for the mortgage. And eventually, if the day comes when we do have kids, we have options. And once Rory's done with the campaign or April finishes college and they want to move here, they can have your house. Or this one."

"You want two houses," Lorelai repeated.

"If you want it," Luke said.

Lorelai nodded slowly. "I need to talk to Rory."

"You do," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her forehead. "It's her home."

She turned to look at him with a grateful smile. "Thanks for understanding," she said softly. "And for the record, the plan you have? It sounds great."

"Good," Luke smiled.

"Tell me a story."

"About what?"

"This room, this house," Lorelai said. "Did you ever bring a girl up here?"

Luke blushed and turned away, causing Lorelai to laugh triumphantly. "Oh my god, you did!" she cried. "Is this the room where Luke Danes finally did the deed?"

"Stop."

"I want details."

"We don't have to talk about this."

"Why not?" Lorelai asked. "We all know how my first sexual encounter ended up."

Luke looked at her in surprise. "That was your first time?" he asked. "When Rory…"

"Was conceived?" Lorelai asked. "Well, probably. There were a couple times before I started eating apples by the bushel, but…yeah, that general time frame."

"Wow," Luke breathed.

"Maybe you won't have trouble getting me pregnant after all," Lorelai mused.

"I'll certainly have fun trying," Luke smiled softly.

"Not unless you tell me about your first time," Lorelai insisted.

"Let's just say, if we ever have a kid who's a teenager in this room, I'm removing the trellis from outside," Luke shrugged.

"You made a girl climb into your bedroom on the trellis?" Lorelai gave an impressed nod. "How unsexist of you."

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Was it Rachel?"

"Let's go home."

"Hey, we could be home right now," Lorelai frowned up at him as he got to his feet and started towards the door. "Hey, are you going to help the lady off the floor?"

Luke retreated and helped her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her. "We'll think about it?" he asked as he led her down the stairs and out the door.

"We'll think about it," she promised. She reached for his hand as they walked towards their house. "Thank you," she said softly. "For talking about this and listening to me talk about it."

Luke smiled as he raised as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it gently. "Get used to it," he murmured. "It's what husbands do."

XXXXX

Rory Gilmore was having a bad day.

It wasn't often that she had a really, truly, horrible, no good, bad day, and this was the first one she'd had in the six months she'd spent on the campaign trail. But today, in the rainy weather of the Pacific Northwest, Rory wanted nothing more than to be back home in Stars Hollow with her mother, preparing for Christmas and watching the snow fall.

To be fair, she knew that snow had yet to fall in her hometown. She'd been receiving weekly weather reports from her mother, each more nervous than the last that there would be no snow on her wedding day.

But today, for the first time, Rory's article had come back from editing completely ripped apart, and she was on her third hour of the revising process. She was tired of listening to the Senator's campaign speeches, and she had run out of clean clothes the day before. Everything was slowly starting to pile up, and it felt remarkably similar to the end of the semester at Yale.

When she finally hit the send button on her revised article, she felt a short lived sense of relief. At least that was one thing she could check off her list. But she still had two weeks before she went home, and she was feeling remarkably homesick for her mother. Probably too much so for a grown up.

When she heard her cell phone ring, she immediately answered without looking, hoping it was her mother. "Please tell me it's snowing and you've found a time machine to transport me to two weeks from now."

There was a pause on the other end before a voice that was very much not her mother's said, "Sorry on both accounts, kiddo."

Rory froze and leaned forward to bury her face in her hand. "Dad."

"How's life on the road?"

"Fine." She did not want to give him any more details than possible.

Christopher cleared his throat and said, "Well, I was just wondering what your plans for Christmas are."

"I'll be with Mom."

"Right, of course," Christopher said. "But Gigi and I would really like to see you."

"I won't have time."

"Come on, Rory, I know things are weird, but you can make time for your dad and sister at Christmas," he pushed.

"No, I can't," Rory said, her tension beginning to seep into her voice.

"Rory…"

"No, Dad, I'm not going to have time for you," she snapped. "I have plans, big important plans."

"What could be more important than Christmas with your family?"

"Mom's wedding."

Christopher was silent for a long moment before he let out a sharp breath. "Your mom's _what?"_

Rory immediately felt guilty. This wasn't her news to tell, and she would have to do some serious groveling to her mother and Luke. Maybe she'd offer herself as a baby sitter for a week once they finally got around to giving her a real sibling. "Nothing. I have to go."

"She's getting married?"

"Dad, please, just forget it," Rory said. "They're happy. Finally. And please, if you have any kind of remote feelings of fatherly love for me, you'll leave them alone. For real."

"Rory, of course I love you," Christopher said.

"Prove it," Rory challenged. "Leave them alone."

Christopher let out an irritated sigh. "Are we going to see you at Christmas or not?" he asked.

"Not," Rory replied. "It can't be like this, Dad. You haven't called me in months! You didn't even return the message I left on Thanksgiving! You can't just disappear and expect me to drop everything and run to you when you call. That's not how it works!"

"Rory, I…."

"Why didn't you want me there?" Rory demanded. "When you convinced Mom to get married, you didn't even care that I wasn't there! Why didn't you care?"

"I did care."

"Where's the proof of that? When I broke my arm in high school?" Rory asked. "You came to watch me get the cast off and wound up breaking her heart!"

"Rory."

"Or when you got her pregnant and visited me in the hospital when I was born but then disappeared without even holding me?" Rory asked. "Why didn't you care? Any of the other thousand times, why didn't you care about me?"

"Of course I care about you."

Rory stubbornly tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. She didn't want him to know how much his actions had effected her. "Luke's daughter, April, is jealous of me," she informed him. "Because when I was younger, he was there to help me with my home ec cooking project and gave me pie when I had a lot of homework. But you know what, the funny thing is, I can't help being jealous of her because she has a father who would have given anything to be there for her from the second she was born. But you knew about me. And when I finally started to believe that things were going okay, that I could have a relationship with you and you could be friends with Mom, you took advantage of her when she was heartbroken!"

"It's more complicated than that kiddo," Christopher said.

"I'm not a kid!" Rory said. "I know what happened, Dad. I'm not an idiot. Mom was heartbroken and you just swept in when you knew she was vulnerable. It's not okay."

"It sounds like she's worked it out."

"That doesn't matter!" Rory practically shouted. "That doesn't make what you did okay!"

"Your mom played a part in that night too, you know."

Rory was certain she'd never been this angry than she was upon hearing that comment. Her frustration and hurt feelings towards her father combined with her protective streak towards her mother and her horrible day all culminated in a feeling of what she could only think of as rage washing over her. "You won't see me at Christmas," she informed him before she snapped her phone shut and tossed it onto the hotel bed. She glanced around the room for a moment before she reached for a plastic water bottle and hurling it towards the door.

When she'd taken a few shaky breaths and regained control of her anger, she now realized she was overcome with sadness. Sadness for not being at home, for the fact that her father had never really wanted her, sadness that she'd been such a pushover a year ago when she'd reluctantly accepted her parents' ridiculous marriage.

She reached for her phone and dialed her mother's cell phone, sighing when voicemail picked up. "Mom, it's me," she said. "Call me when you get this. I…I miss you."

She hung up and quickly dialed her house, sitting down on the end of the bed and praying that her mother would answer.

"Hello?"

Although it wasn't her mom's voice, Rory was surprised to feel almost as calm at the sound of her future stepfather's voice. "Luke."

"Rory?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she lied. "Is Mom there?"

"She's babysitting for Sookie's kids," Luke replied. "You could try her cell."

"I already did," Rory sighed. "Can you tell her to call me when she gets back? I'll be up late, plus I'm on west coast time."

"Sure," he said. He paused, then asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," she sniffed.

"That sounded about as convincing as your mother," he informed her. "Fine is her code word for not fine. Is there anything I can do?"

Rory wiped at the corner of her eye, amazed at how easily Luke could tell something was wrong. But she knew that if she let one thing slip, she wouldn't be able to hold back, and she wasn't sure exactly how Luke would react to her conversation with her father. "I don't want to bug you," she said.

"Hey, you're not a bother," he said. "But I get it if you don't want to…"

"My dad's a jerk."

She heard Luke clear his throat and could practically see him readjusting his baseball hat as he tried to find the right way to react to that. "What did he do now?" Luke finally asked, his voice terse.

"He wanted to see me at Christmas," Rory said softly. "And I've had a bad couple days and pretty much all the stress I've been keeping inside of me let go. I yelled. A lot."

"Well, I know from experience that's not fun."

Rory smiled softly. "I just…I couldn't take it any more," she said softly. "Nothing ever changes with him, and I'm tired of it."

"Look, you know I'm not his biggest fan in the world," Luke said. "But he's your dad."

"By genetics only," Rory scoffed. She was quiet before she said, "I may have told him that I was jealous of April."

"You did?" Luke asked. "Why?"

Tears pricked Rory's eyes. "Because she has a dad who wants her," she whispered. "Who would have been there from the beginning."

"Oh, Rory," Luke sighed. "Yes, April is my daughter, and I would have been there for her. I know I wasn't there for your whole life either and I've probably disappointed you. But in my head, you and April are equal."

She now couldn't help the tears from falling directly down her face now. "Thanks, Luke," she said. "I…that really means a lot to me."

"I know you have your mom," Luke said. "But I'm always here, Rory."

"I know," she said softly. She laughed slightly and said, "My dad would never have beaten Dean up over a Bop It."

"I didn't beat him up," Luke said defensively. "I just…wanted better for you."

Rory sighed as she stared at the ceiling, remembering that it had been Luke who'd warned her not to go to Dean's wedding. "You always tried to protect me from him," she said softly.

"Yeah, well…you deserve the best," Luke said.

"Thanks, Luke," she said.

"No problem," he said. "I'll have your mom call the second she gets home."

"Thanks," she repeated.

"You're welcome." He paused, then asked, "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah," she promised. "You're pretty good at talking a girl down from the ledge."

"So I've been told," he said. "Take care of yourself, kid."

"I will," she promised. "Bye, Luke."

She hung up the phone and threw her arm over her face, actually feeling better about her bad day.

XXXXX

As Lorelai dragged herself towards her house, she mentally praised herself for only having one kid. It was true she loved April and would do anything for her, but after taking care of Sookie's kids, she found it unbelievable that people chose to have three kids all under the age of five. She was exhausted.

Luke had the front door open before she'd even set foot on the final step, and she flashed him a smile. "Missed me so much you had to meet me at the door?" she asked.

"Rory called," Luke ignored her flirty greeting.

"What?" Lorelai felt panic rising inside of her as she took in Luke's worried expression and the way he was holding the phone out to her. She immediately took it and dialed, asking, "Is she okay?"

"I think so," he replied. "She had a fight with her dad."

Lorelai's eyes widened, and she turned her attention to the phone when she heard Rory pick up. "Hey, hon, Luke told me you called."

"Yeah," Rory said. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"Sorry?" Lorelai asked, settling down on the porch steps. Luke sat down beside her and reached for her free hand. "What in the world for?"

"I told Dad," Rory said in a meek voice. "That you and Luke are getting married."

Lorelai closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Oh, Rory."

"Are you mad?" Over the phone, Rory could easily have been five years old again, asking if Lorelai was upset that she'd reorganized all the books in the Independence Inn's library based on publication year.

"No, of course not," Lorelai said. "What happened?"

"He wanted to know why I wouldn't see him over Christmas," Rory said. "I wasn't trying to tell him, but he kept pushing and he asked me what was so important and I just…let it slip."

"Hon, it's fine," Lorelai said. "Really, I don't care if he knows or not."

"Oh," Rory said.

"But…Luke said there might have been a little more to that conversation," Lorelai said casually.

"There was," Rory said. "I yelled. A lot. And blamed him. For a lot."

"Like what?"

"Everything."

"Everything to include global warming?" Lorelai suggested. "Charles and Diana's marriage? The Brady Bunch Comedy Hour?"

"No," Rory said, trying to fight the smile. "Everything as in…taking advantage of you when you were vulnerable. Not wanting me around. For getting you pregnant and then walking away."

"Rory, I'm sorry you've been dealing with that all this time," Lorelai said.

"It's not your fault," Rory said. "I never felt unwanted, you were always there. I'm just so tired of him coming and going."

"I know, it's not fair to you," Lorelai said. She turned to look at Luke, who was watching her with concern and curiosity written across his face. "I wish I was there to give you a hug."

"Me too," Rory sighed. "Luke's pretty good at working his way through a Gilmore meltdown."

Lorelai smiled as she squeezed his hand. "Yeah, he is," she agreed. "I've given him plenty of practice."

"I'm sorry again, Mom," Rory said. "I really didn't mean to drag you back into this."

"You didn't drag me into anything," Lorelai said. "I'm glad you called."

"I wish I was home."

"Me too, honey," Lorelai sighed. "You have no idea."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Rory."

"I'll call you tomorrow," Rory promised.

Lorelai hung up the phone and then leaned into Luke. "Well, when it's not one daughter having a meltdown, it's the other I suppose," she said.

"How did she sound?" Luke murmured into her hair.

"Okay," Lorelai said. She tilted her head to look up at him. "She said you did a pretty good job of talking her through it."

He shrugged, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and rubbing her arm. "She clearly needed to talk," he said.

"Still, it must have been hard," Lorelai said. "For you to talk to her about him."

"It was," he said. "But you've talked to April about Anna more than once. I think we're past all the initial hurt feelings."

Lorelai smiled and scooted closer to him. "I guess we are," she said, running her hand along his thigh. "I love you."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I love you too."

"Is it okay that I didn't talk to her about the house?" Lorelai asked. "I know I said I would when we were there earlier, but…"

"She had enough emotional turmoil for one day," Luke agreed. "We've got time."

Lorelai nodded against his shoulder. "Luke?"

"Hmmm?"

"I think, if it's okay with Rory, I'll want to take the house," she said. "I want our baby to call it home."

"We'll figure it out," he promised.

She smiled as she pulled back and met his eyes. "And you do know this means I'll get to go shopping for new furniture," she said.

"Sure," he shrugged.

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "Sure?" she repeated. "Who are you and what have you done with Luke Danes?"

He laughed and reached out to rub her knee. "Lorelai, there was a long time I wasn't sure we'd ever get here," he said. "Now that we are, I'm not going to tell you that you can't decorate the house however you want."

"You should have a say too," she said, nudging his shoulder. "It's going to be _our_ house, Luke."

"First let's talk to Rory and then try to talk Kirk down in his asking price," Luke said.

Lorelai sighed dramatically. "Who would have thought our entire future would be in the hands of Kirk?" she asked.

Luke shook his head. "Not me," he said. "Maybe I'll just start overcharging him for all his food and put that money into a separate account for a down payment."

Lorelai giggled. "He'd have no idea he was buying us a house," she said.

"Sounds good to me," he nodded confidently.

She smiled, then reached out to run her finger over his stubble. "Thank you," she murmured.

"For what?" he asked.

"For making me laugh," she said. "For being there for me, and for Rory. Especially for Rory."

"Lorelai, you know how special she is to me," he murmured.

"I do," she said. "And you have no idea how much that means to me. Besides my dad, you're the only man who's ever been there for her. Max and even her own dad…they were accepting of her presence, but neither were particularly eager to be a parent. But you were always there. Without even trying. So thank you."

He shrugged self consciously. "She makes it easy," he said.

"Not always," Lorelai held up the phone. "That wasn't a particularly easy conversation. And it sounds like you had the more immediate aftermath to deal with."

"She needed to talk so I let her talk," Luke said. "It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal, it's a very big deal," Lorelai said. "It's why I'm going to marry you in two and a half weeks."

"About time," he muttered.

Lorelai elbowed him in the stomach. "Just for that, I think we should abstain from sex until our wedding night," she said.

"What?" he asked.

She shrugged and pulled back, pretending to examine her fingernails. "No sex until we're man and wife," she said. "I'm very traditional."

"You're kidding."

"No I'm not."

"You can't go two and a half weeks."

"Awfully confident in yourself there, Butch."

He responded by leaning towards her and kissing her deeply. She kissed him back, then scooted away from him. "I know what you're doing," she said.

"I'm not doing anything," he said, scooting closer to her, pushing her hair off her shoulder and pressing a series of kisses along her jawline. "Just kissing my fiancé."

She tilted her head to the side for a moment before she slid out from his grasp and stood. "Not going to work," she said.

"I think it will," Luke said, standing and edging towards her. "I happen to know you can't resist me."

Lorelai gave him a once over and then shrugged. "I can wait."

Luke pressed her against the closed front door and kissed her deeply. Lorelai began to respond, eagerly pulling him closer, and when he pulled back to catch his breath, she murmured, "I won't tell if you don't."

"Deal." He reached behind her to push the door open and shoved her gently inside, loving the sound of her laughter.

XXXXX

"Sell the house?" Rory asked quietly into the phone the next morning.

"Not sell," Lorelai said quickly. "Rent out."

"But you won't be living there?"

"No," Lorelai said. "We really love this other house, hon. It has plenty of room. You'd have your own space when you come visit. And it has a library."

Rory was quiet for a moment. "You're trying to win me over with that," she accused.

"Maybe," Lorelai said. "Be honest, Rory, how do you feel about this?"

"It's…strange," Rory admitted. "But I get it."

"You do?" Lorelai asked. "Don't say that if you don't mean it."

"I do get it," Rory insisted. "The reality is, a year from now, after the election, there's a very good chance I'll be unemployed and back to living off of you. And if April is serious about going to Chilton…well, sharing my room is fine for a couple days, but we couldn't live like that long term."

"That was a major factor in the decision," Lorelai said.

"So you have my blessing or whatever," Rory said.

"Are you sure?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," Rory shrugged. "I'm sad, but I get it."

"It's okay to be sad, I am too," Lorelai assured her. "And nothing's a done deal. We have to negotiate with Kirk."

"Well, that right there is worth the sadness," Rory said in a lighter tone. "Can you videotape it for me?"

"I'll try to slip a tape recorder in," Lorelai confirmed. "Are you really okay with this, Rory?"

"I am, I promise," Rory said. "I know I was a bit of a mess yesterday, but I understand why you want to do this. You and Luke have worked hard, you should have a space that belongs to both of you."

"You're a good kid," Lorelai informed her. "And hey, we're going to hang onto this house. Which means when you finally decide you're ready to stop traveling the world, you'll be able to come home. Literally."

Rory smiled softly. "Thanks, Mom," she said.

"It was Luke's idea."

"He's a pretty good guy, that Luke."

"I think I'll keep him."

"I have to go, Mom, but I'll call you tonight," Rory said.

"Okay, happy writing," Lorelai replied. "Love you."

"I love you too."

Lorelai hung up the phone and made her way into the kitchen for another cup of coffee. Luke had been gone before she'd woken up that morning, but she'd appreciated having some space to talk to Rory on her own. As she poured coffee into her to go cup, she felt a smile beginning to tug at her lips. Knowing that Rory was okay with her moving made the possibility more real somehow, and Lorelai could feel herself imaging herself and Luke six months into the future, settled into their new house and basking in newlywed bliss.

She chose to drive to the diner before work so she could get there faster. Luke had been especially worried after his conversation with Rory last night, and she wanted to reassure him that things seemed to be better in the light of day.

"Hi," she greeted him with a kiss before she settled onto her usual stool.

"Hey," he said. "Pancakes?"

"Yes please," she nodded.

Luke called the order through the window, then turned back to her. "Did you talk to Rory?" he asked.

"Yep, she's doing much better," Lorelai confirmed. "She even said she understands why we're looking for a bigger house."

"Is she okay with it?" he asked.

"I think so," Lorelai said. "I mean, she's sad, but so am I. It's okay to be sad about letting it go but excited about moving forward."

He smiled softly. "I'm glad she's okay with it," he said.

"So now we have to talk to Kirk," Lorelai said flatly.

Luke rolled his eyes. "I hate that I have to talk to him about this," he said.

"Just remind him about all the advice you've given him about Lulu," Lorelai said. "Oh, and that he owes us for that time you had to abandon me to stop him from streaking through the town square."

Luke grimaced. "I'm still trying to forget that ever happened," he said.

She giggled and looked up at him. "We're really going to do this?" she asked, her expression becoming hopeful.

"We're really going to do it," he said, reaching for her hand.

"This is exciting," she said. "Aren't you excited?"

He patted her hand and then straightened. "I'll be more excited once I know Kirk isn't going to make me sit with the town elders again," he said.

"And once you give me my breakfast," Lorelai nodded towards the window where her pancakes were waiting.

"Sorry," he said, sliding the plate in front of her.

She smiled as she poured syrup over the pancakes. "You should stop letting beautiful women distract you from doing your job," she suggested. "I happen to know the owner, he's a real stickler for making sure his employees don't cross a line with customers."

"Good idea," Luke nodded. "Next time a customer starts stripping in exchange for coffee I'll make sure not to serve her."

Lorelai frowned. "I should have thought that through better," she muttered.

The bell above the door dangled, and Kirk entered wearing a suit and carrying a leather folder. When he saw Luke and Lorelai, he approached them, but did not sit down. "Luke Danes and Lorelai Gilmore, I presume?" he asked.

"What do you want, Kirk?" Luke asked tiredly.

"My name is Kirk Gleason, I am the current owner of the house you wish to purchase on Cedar View Lane," he said formally.

"We know, Kirk," Lorelai replied.

"I've met with my realtor, who told me your offer, which I believe is reasonable," Kirk reported. "If you'd stop by the office later, the paperwork is drawn up. All we need is your signatures and the keys will be turned over to you as soon as the current residents move out next week."

Luke and Lorelai exchanged a glance before they both turned back to Kirk. "What's the catch, Kirk?" Luke asked.

"There is no catch," Kirk replied. "I need the cash to make sure I can purchase a very important item to secure my future with Lulu."

Lorelai frowned. "You don't even want to counter our offer?" she asked.

"Don't make him ask us for more money," Luke muttered into her ear.

"Consider it part of my gratitude for your assistance throughout the years," Kirk said politely. "I look forward to your business. Here's my card."

Without waiting for a response, he placed his business card on the counter and turned, walking out of the diner and leaving a stunned Luke and Lorelai in his wake.

After a beat, Lorelai turned to look at Luke with raised eyebrows. "What was that?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Luke replied, a frown written across his face.

"Was Kirk just being nice to us?" Lorelai asked.

Luke rubbed a hand over his neck. "I think he was," he admitted.

"Is he being serious?" Lorelai asked. "We offered way less than his asking price."

"I'll call the realtor, see if he's telling the truth," Luke said. "Can you make it this afternoon?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Lorelai said. She bit her lower lip as she stared up at him. "We got the house."

"Let's not pop the champagne until we sign the papers," Luke requested.

"I know," Lorelai said. "But…we got the house."

He smiled as he leaned across the counter to kiss her. "We got the house."

XXXXX

"Are we allowed to be here?" Luke asked a week later as Lorelai dragged him down the sidewalk three days later.

"It's a public sidewalk," she informed him, stopping outside the house they'd officially signed for just a few minutes ago. She turned to look at the house and looped her arm through Luke's. "And that's ours."

He sighed as he turned to look at the house as well. "It's ours," he agreed.

"Just think, two weeks from now, we'll be married with our very own house," Lorelai said happily.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Better late than never," he murmured.

"It's strange," Lorelai murmured. "Of course I'm sad about leaving my house, but more of me is excited about starting a new life. Here, with you."

"I'm glad you're excited," he said.

She turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling. "I really am, Luke," she said. "I don't think I've ever been this happy."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm so glad."

"Everything is going so well," Lorelai said, running her hands up and down his arms. "We're getting married and we got the house. Rory's happy with her job, and she and April will be here soon. The inn is booked for the next three months, and even my mom is being nicer. I honestly have nothing to complain about in my life right now."

Luke reached out to twirl a strand of her hair around his fingers. "Me neither," he said. "I can't believe this is really happening."

"We're finally getting everything we've worked so hard for," Lorelai sighed. "It scares me sometimes."

"Scares you?" he asked. "Why?"

"Because I have so much to lose," Lorelai admitted softly. "I know what it's like, to be without this, and it terrifies me how quickly it could all disappear."

"It's not going to disappear," he promised. "We're better than we were. We've learned a lot, and I know that there's no way in hell I'm letting us slip back to where we were before."

"Me neither," she said. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Just imagine, next year there will be snowmen and reindeer on the roof."

"Will you be putting them up there?" Luke asked. "Because I draw the line at putting decorations on the roof."

Lorelai scoffed. "Luke, you would not make me climb up on the roof to do manual labor," she said.

"I will if you want snowmen up there."

"No you won't," Lorelai said. "Because if things work out the way I want them to, I'll be pregnant next Christmas."

He shrugged. "Then I guess we'll have to live without rooftop decorations," he said.

She sighed dramatically. "Poor Rudolph," she sighed.

"I think he'll survive."

Lorelai smiled and took a step back. "Let's go home," she said. "I have to finish April's stocking before she gets here tomorrow."

"Thanks for doing that," Luke said. "I really appreciate how hard you're working to include her."

"Of course I'm going to include her," Lorelai said. "Luke, you told Rory that she and April are equal to you. It works both ways, you know. I know Rory and I have a freakishly weird bond, but I love April like she's my own."

"I know you do," he said. "But I also know that you and Rory have all kinds of Christmas traditions. Including me and April in that means a lot."

"Did you think I was just going to make you two sleep on the porch while Rory and I celebrated Christmas?" Lorelai asked, disbelief written across her face.

"No, I just…I don't know, I guess sometimes those old feelings of insecurity do creep up," he said. "And last Christmas was so lonely, I'm just really glad to be here this year."

"I'm glad you're here too," she said. She took a few steps before she spoke again. "It wasn't just Rory being gone."

"What?" Luke asked.

"Last Christmas, Rory being gone wasn't the only reason I canceled Christmas," Lorelai admitted. "It was supposed to be our first married Christmas. I was still living in denial about everything, so I just told Christopher we weren't doing Christmas. And then when Rory got back, she and I tried to do everything the right way, but it still felt wrong. With Chris and Gigi there, it was just all wrong."

"We'll make up for it this year," Luke promised.

"I know we will," Lorelai smiled. "Our first Christmas as a family."

"It's my first Christmas with anyone, in a long time."

Lorelai frowned. "I hate that you were alone all that time," she said.

He shrugged. "Well, it gives me perspective," he said. "I know what it's like to be alone, and I'll appreciate this Christmas more. With you and the girls."

Lorelai smiled. "And hopefully by next year, we'll be the typical American family with two and a half kids," she commented.

Luke pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "God, that sounds perfect," he admitted.

"Good, because you don't have much of a choice," Lorelai said. "This is a lifetime commitment, mister."

"It's about damn time."

"And now that you're here, you can continue putting peppermint in your coffee past Christmas day," Lorelai informed him.

"Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because it tastes good, and the rest of the word seems to think it's impossible to put peppermint in your coffee after Christmas," Lorelai explained. "I'm really just thinking of your business here."

"Business?" Luke asked dubiously. "There's no self serving reason for this idea?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Well, the extra income could help fund my wedding night attire," she teased.

Luke nodded firmly. "Peppermint it is," he declared.


	12. Chapter 12

**Welcome to the Christmas chapter!**

 **Confession: I never actually watched the season 7 Christmas episodes because, well, it was season 7. I read up on the details, but please forgive me if the timing or small details aren't in cannon with the show when Luke and Lorelai discuss that Christmas in this chapter.**

 **Again, I am so grateful for all the kind comments and feedback I'm getting for this story! Thank you all for reading and reviewing!**

Lorelai smiled as she watched Luke from the corner of her eye. She was pretending to flip through a magazine as she sat beside him on a bench outside airport security, but she found it endearing how excited he was to see April. They'd had to leave the house a full half hour earlier than necessary due to Luke's concerns of not being there on time, which had proved to be fruitless. They'd been waiting for nearly forty minutes, and when April's flight status had changed to ARRIVED, Luke's face had lit up with excitement.

As much as they had both grown in the past six months, Lorelai was still sometimes amazed by how unabashedly Luke now displayed his affections. Since embracing fatherhood, he'd become less grumpy and more willing to smile, a change that Lorelai was pleased to see. She'd always known how to crack through Luke's tough exterior and see what an amazing man he was, but she was glad that he was now willing to let the rest of the world see it as well.

With a smile, she closed her magazine and dropped it into her purse, leaning into him. "You're cute," she informed him.

"What?" he frowned, turning to look at her.

She laced her fingers through his. "You're cute," she replied. "How you're letting your excitement about seeing April show. I like that you're happier, more demonstrative now. I like that you want to hold my hand in public. The affection, it's nice."

He squeezed her hand, offering her a smile. "It is," he agreed.

"Are you sure it's okay that I came?" she asked. "I know airport rides are usually a solo thing for you."

"It's fine," he said. "More than fine. You're excited to see her too."

Lorelai smiled. "I am ready to have some more estrogen around," she conceded. "Between you and Paul Anka, I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the manliness."

"Please don't ever compare me to your dog again," Luke grumbled.

She giggled and kissed his cheek. "Noted," she said. She settled back against the bench, then jumped up excitedly. "There she is!"

Luke passed her in three quick strides, and was embracing April tightly by the time she'd gathered her purse and joined them. "I'm so excited!" April was saying as she pulled back from her father. "You're getting married!"

Luke shrugged as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, well…"

"It was romantic statements like those that landed him the girl," Lorelai said. "Welcome home, sweetie."

"Hi, Lorelai!" April said, stepping forward to hug her tightly. "I didn't realize you'd be here too!"

"What can I say, your dad can't survive without me," Lorelai shrugged as she stepped back. "Inspection time."

Luke rolled his eyes as April obediently stood straight and faced forward. Lorelai circled around her, stroking her chin as she nodded slowly. "Well, you look gorgeous, but you're still growing, which I thought we agreed was out of the question."

"Sorry," April said, then pointed to Luke. "Blame his genes."

Lorelai gasped proudly. "You've finally learned, it's always the man's fault," she said dramatically. Her face turned serious as she reached out to rub April's shoulder. "You look beautiful, April."

"Thanks," April said, beaming at Luke. "Mom let me get contacts for the wedding."

His eyes narrowed. "Why do you need contacts?" he asked.

"So I don't have to wear glasses," she explained as if the answer was obvious.

"What's wrong with wearing glasses?"

"Asks the man who's never had to deal with migraines or choosing the right frames," Lorelai rolled her eyes.

He sighed as he looked to April. "The doctor says it's okay?" he asked.

"Perfectly safe," she nodded. "I only got a couple sets. For special occasions."

"Okay," he said, then began leading them towards the baggage claim. "Did you call your mom?" he asked as they waited for the machine to click on.

"Yeah," April nodded. A flash of guilt appeared in her eyes. "Is it bad that I'm excited to be here instead of with her?"

Lorelai glanced at Luke, who cleared his throat. "Well, there's the wedding to be excited about too," he said. "But it's probably a little strange for her."

April shrugged. "It's strange," she admitted. "And I do miss her, but…maybe it's because you're getting married, but I'm excited to be here more than anything else."

"Well, we're happy to have you here," Lorelai said.

"When does Rory get in?"

"Tomorrow," Lorelai sighed. "But Christmas Eve arrivals are better than missing the entire holiday. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to celebrate Christmas in January."

Luke offered her a sad smile, then pointed to a pink and black zebra striped bag that appeared on the belt. "That's yours, right?" he asked.

"Yep," April confirmed, beaming at Lorelai. "Bought by my favorite stepmother."

Lorelai brushed her bangs off of her forehead. "Always buy luggage that's easy to recognize," she shrugged. "That's one thing I learned traveling through Europe."

Luke groaned as he dragged the bag off the belt. "Could your next lesson to her be how to pack light?" he requested.

"Hi, have you met me?" Lorelai waved a hand in his face.

"Right, what was I thinking," he sighed.

As the trio made their way out to the parking lot, April filled Lorelai and Luke in on her recent school projects and her flight from New Mexico, the stories lasting until they reached Stars Hollow. As Luke pulled the truck into their driveway, April's eyes lit up.

"It looks so pretty!" she exclaimed.

Lorelai smiled at the house. "It really does," she murmured. As excited as she was to move on and build a life with Luke in a new house, it was bittersweet to know that this was the last Christmas she'd spend in this house. Fifteen Christmases, or fourteen real ones and one fake one, had been created here, and she wanted to remember every moment of this holiday season.

"Lorelai's favorite holiday is Christmas," Luke informed April as he hoisted her suitcase out of the back of the truck.

"Right after Arbor Day and National Vegetable Day," Lorelai confirmed. "We kind of do things to the extreme here."

April glanced at the candy canes that were stuck to the front door and nodded. "I guess so," she said.

"Don't worry, we'll go easy on our rookies this year," Lorelai promised. "Next year, though, no mercy."

"Wow," April gasped as she stepped into the living room. "That tree is huge."

"I told you it was big enough," Luke muttered to Lorelai.

She ignored him and reached for a flat box that sat under the tree. "Early present," she said, handing it to April.

April took it hesitantly. "I can wait," she said.

"Honey, when someone gives you a present, never offer to wait," Lorelai advised. "Besides, you kind of need it now."

Curiously, April moved to the couch and tore the paper off the box. When she lifted the lid, she gasped and held up a stocking, embroidered with her name and year of birth. "Wow," she whispered.

Lorelai gestured to the mantle place. "It makes the set complete," she said.

April looked up to where there were four other stockings hanging, each to match her own, with their own labels. _Luke, Lorelai, Rory, Paul Anka._ There was an empty hook between Rory's and Paul Anka's, and April turned to look at Luke with a vulnerable gaze.

"Go ahead," he nodded. "We wanted you to hang it yourself."

"It's usually part of the tradition, but I had to hang Rory's since she's not here," Lorelai said.

April smiled shyly, ducking her head down as she stood and reached for the hook, hanging the stocking on it carefully. When she stepped back to admire it, Luke reached forward to offer her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm glad you're here, kid," he said.

She turned to smile up at him. "Me too," she murmured.

With a smile, Lorelai slipped into the kitchen, willing to give father and daughter a few moments alone. As she poured some coffee grounds into the coffee maker, her engagement ring sparkled just right in the overhead light, glistening brightly enough to catch her attention. She smiled fondly down at it, beyond grateful that it was resting on her finger. Two years ago, she'd worn this very ring on Christmas morning, but she'd spent the entire day locked in the house with Rory while Luke had opened the diner for a Christmas Day meal. Now she couldn't believe how thoughtless she'd been. She and Rory had just recently reconciled, and she had been so focused on getting her relationship with her daughter back that she hadn't realized how Rory's reappearance had effected her engagement.

Now she realized that he'd known about April at that point. How sad it must have been for him that Christmas, to know he had a daughter spending the day with her mother, while his fiancé spent the day with her daughter. She knew now how hurt Luke must have been to not be truly accepted into either world, and she vowed to do everything she could to make that up for him.

Her mind shifted to a different kind of sad when she realized that a year ago she'd been wearing a completely different ring. Christopher had wanted to buy her a fancy diamond wedding band, but she'd refused. She'd told him that she was too old for that, but the truth had been that she hadn't wanted to wear a fancy ring because the marriage didn't seem real. Christopher had also tried to push Christmas, but she'd refused, blaming Rory's absence.

She'd worked a straight thirty six hour shift at the inn, from Christmas Eve after her mother's disastrous party until the morning after Christmas. She hadn't even bothered to go home, choosing instead to nap on the small couch in her office.

What she'd never told anyone, not even Rory, was about her midnight walk that night. After earning herself a cramp in her neck due to the uncomfortable sleeping position, Lorelai had brewed some coffee in the abandoned kitchen and set out through town. Memories had poured through her heart as she walked, most of them having to do with Rory. But the closer she'd drawn to the town square, the more memories shifted from her girl to her guy. Every step she took seemed to draw a new flashback, until they were all strung together.

 _You have to bid on my basket…Do you want to dance…You're going to kiss me now?...Perfect match…you are not a failure...will you marry me?_

As she'd been flooded with memories of their friendship and relationship, Lorelai had allowed herself a rare moment of grief over what could have been. When she'd rounded the corner past Dooses and seen Luke's familiar green truck parked on the street, she'd been unable to stop herself from slowly making her way towards it, slipping her gloves off as she'd run her fingers over the cold metal of the driver's side door.

Part of her had been relieved to see that truck parked outside the diner. She had had no idea what was going on in his life at that point, apart from bits of the town gossip. It was before he'd come to her to explain his custody struggles, and she'd assumed everything was going well for him. For all she'd known, he had been spending Christmas night with Anna and April, and when she'd realized that wasn't the case she'd felt a sense of hypocritical and selfish relief wash over her.

He had still been there.

Lorelai had known then, how unhappy she was with her life. Perhaps she'd known since the moment she'd woken up in Christopher's bed that early summer morning, but this was the first time she had admitted it to herself. As she'd run her fingers over the hatch of the truck, knowing that Luke had also touched that handle, she'd admitted to herself for the first time that she missed him.

Conscious of the fact that she'd been lingering too long outside of her ex- fiancé's home, Lorelai had known she had to go before someone saw her, even if it was the middle of the night. As she'd stepped back from the car, she'd dared to look up at his apartment window, where so many other, more private memories had taken place.

 _I can't believe you kept that horoscope…There will be more thanking, later tonight...I think things are going very well, you and me…We could get a plant…I had a dream once, that I was pregnant with your babies. Twins…No more secrets._

The final memory had seemed to snap her back into reality, and different, more painful memories began to surface. She'd quickly donned her mask again, putting her walls back up and telling herself that if things really had been good with Luke, he'd have told her about April, let her be part of his life. She'd turned and hurried back to the Dragonfly, determined to get through the next twenty four hours with as little recognition of the Christmas holiday as possible.

Now, back in the present, Lorelai felt a sense of peace wash over her as she thought of how much had changed since last year. She and Luke had both been so foolish, so childish, and so _selfish._ She couldn't believe now how petty they'd each been, tiptoeing around each other for fear of hurting the other's feelings. They'd forgiven each other and become stronger than ever, but there were still moments like this, where she hated how much time they'd lost.

"Lorelai?"

April's voice interrupted her moment of self pity, and she turned to smile at the teenager. "Hey, sweetie, what can I get you?" she asked.

"I was just going to make some tea for me and Dad," April said. "He took Paul Anka for a walk."

Lorelai smiled softly. "You know, he complains about having a dog around, but sometimes I think he likes Paul Anka better than he likes me," she said as she reached for the tea kettle.

"I don't think he likes _anyone_ better than you," April said.

"I think you've got me beat," Lorelai said with a wink, pulling some mugs out of the cabinet.

April was quiet as she watched Lorelai putter around the kitchen. "It's weird how different things are," she said softly.

"Different?" Lorelai looked around the kitchen. "It hasn't even been a month since you were here for Thanksgiving."

"Not since I was here," April said. "Since last year."

Lorelai turned to look at April, who'd seated herself at the kitchen table. "I was just thinking the same thing," she admitted.

"I felt so badly," April admitted quietly. "Mom still had all the custody rights, and she let me spend the day after Christmas with Dad. But I knew how sad he was, and I just…I don't know, I wanted to help him."

Lorelai closed her eyes tightly. "It was a rough year," she admitted. "I'm sorry for putting you through that."

April shrugged. "I don't think I realized how bad things were until I saw how _good_ things are now," she admitted.

"Care to elaborate?" Lorelai asked, setting a cup of tea in front of April and retrieving her own cup of coffee before she sat down beside her.

"Well, I kind of saw it at my thirteenth birthday party," April said. "How Dad looked at you, like you were the greatest person in the world. But then, well, you know what happened, and I didn't see him look like that again for a long time." She paused before she met Lorelai's gaze. "When I got back from camp this summer, he was happy."

Lorelai smiled softly. "He was," she nodded.

"Not just happy," April continued. "Happier than I'd ever seen him, since I'd known him."

Again, Lorelai nodded. "I think he was," she repeated. "I think he's happier than _I've_ ever seen him."

"But it got me thinking, about how sad he must have been," April said. "I mean, he was still great to me. I knew he was trying so hard to be a good dad and learn on his feet, and I really liked spending time with him, at the diner and everything. But even though I spent the night sometimes, I was still going back to Mom's. He knew that, and he knew that you were…here, I guess. I hate thinking of sad he must have been."

Lorelai felt her heart begin to swell. Every time she had a heart to heart with April, she was amazed at how clearly this teenager was able to see the world and recognize the emotions of the people around her. If only she'd been this wise when she'd been fourteen, maybe she'd have been able to see a way out of her parents' world much sooner. "I hate thinking of that too," she admitted.

April sipped at her tea, then admitted, "I ran away, last Christmas Eve."

Lorelai's eyes widened. "You _what?"_ she asked.

"I was mad at my mom for not letting me see Dad on Christmas," April admitted. "So I waited until she went to bed and rode my bike to Stars Hollow."

Motherly instinct kicked in, and Lorelai frowned at the thought of April riding her bike through abandoned streets in the middle of the night. "April, that was really dangerous," she said. "What if your mom had woken up and realized you were gone?"

April shrugged. "It's small town Connecticut," she said. "But that's not the point. When I finally got to my dad's, I realized that I wasn't his only visitor."

Realization smacked Lorelai in the face, and she buried her face in her hands. "You saw me?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"I wasn't trying to spy or anything," April said. "I guess I was…more confused than anything else. About why you were there. You were leaning against his car, staring up at his apartment. Then, all of a sudden, you practically ran away."

Lorelai sighed deeply and uncovered her face. "Honey, I know your dad probably hasn't told you everything that happened, and you don't need to know the details," she said. "But the bottom line is, even though we hurt each other, and even though I tried to move on, I never stopped loving your dad. That night, I was just taking a walk through town and ended up there. I got caught up in the memories, I guess."

April nodded slowly. "You looked so sad," she said.

"I was," Lorelai sighed. "April, we don't have to keep reliving this."

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad," April said. "I'm just really glad that I'm here."

"Me too, sweetie," Lorelai said, reaching forward to squeeze April's hand. "Me too."

XXXXX

The next evening, Luke walked into the living room with a bag of marshmallows in his hand. He'd been sent to retrieve more after a winded speech from Rory about appropriate hot chocolate to marshmallow ratio, and now he paused as he watched the three most important people in his life hover over the coffee table, carefully putting the finishing touches on a gingerbread house.

Rory had arrived home late that morning, and to Lorelai's delight they'd had a full day of coffee, chatting, and present wrapping. April had held her own amongst the Gilmore Girls, and even Luke had been able to chime in when there had been a mutual pause for coffee consumption.

After a dinner of tater tots and pizza bagels at the kitchen table (a Gilmore tradition, Lorelai had insisted), they'd moved into the living room. As Miracle on 34th Street played on the TV, Rory had proposed they build a gingerbread house. April had then proceeded to design a blueprint that had appropriate angles and measurements, Lorelai had volunteered to taste the candy to make sure it was fresh, and Rory had begun systematically unwrapping the piles of candy and graham crackers in the order in which they would be used.

Luke leaned against the stair rail, committing every moment to memory. The last Christmas he'd spent with anyone had been twenty years ago. He hadn't known at the time that it would be his father's last. Liz and Jess had returned to Stars Hollow for the day, and five year old Jess had spent the day beside the tree, reading his grandmother's old books, while Luke, Liz, and their father had reminisced about Christmases past, with and without their mother.

Now, with a family of his own, after too many Christmases spent lonely and in denial, Luke took in every single detail of this moment. He could see the joy in Lorelai's face as she watched Rory concentrate on writing a frosting message on the roof of the gingerbread house. April's laughter warmed his heart, as did Rory's recitation of a Christmas long ago, when Lorelai had wrapped everything in the potting shed on Christmas morning, including the bathtub and their bed. As he sat down beside Lorelai on the couch, he reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly, his thumb automatically moving over the diamond, rotating the ring slightly on her finger. This was a truly perfect moment, and he knew he never wanted it to end.

"You okay?" Lorelai asked softly, turning to look at him.

"Yeah," he nodded, giving her hand one final squeeze before he let go. "Just enjoying."

"Good," she said. "Me too."

"Are you going to hand those over or what?" Rory asked, pointing to the marshmallow bag still clutched in Luke's hand.

He handed them over with a grumble, causing all three girls to giggle. "Do you want to let the frosting dry before you add more?" he asked.

"Why?" Lorelai asked.

"So it will be able to support more candy," April replied. "Structurally speaking…"

"Okay, that's enough," Lorelai said. "I trust you, waiting for the frosting to dry. We don't need a lecture on gingerbread stability."

"Don't feel bad, one time she literally locked me into my room," Rory informed April.

"That's because it was the middle of the night and you were being loud," Lorelai replied.

"Says the woman who has jumped on my bed in the middle of the night more than once," Rory replied.

"Yes, for desperate, life altering events," Lorelai said. "Emergencies only."

"And the time you woke me up to tell me that Luke woke you up?" Rory asked.

Lorelai turned to glare at him. "I'm still mad at you for that," she informed him.

"I was fixing your railing!" Luke exclaimed.

"No, you were avoiding Rachel."

"I was not."

"You know, this morning I think I put the milk a quarter of an inch off of where it was last night," Lorelai stated. "Do I have to give you my ring back now?"

"Stop."

"Well, that was a deal breaker for Rachel, I just want to know where the line is for me."

"Who's Rachel?"

There was an awkward silence in the room in response to April's question, and Luke shot Lorelai a glare that clearly read, _thanks a lot._

"Just a girl I dated before your mom," he said.

"How do you know her?" April asked Lorelai, who shrugged.

"She came to visit once," she said dismissively. "She knew your dad when he was a teenager, so I had to befriend her to get all the good stories."

"Oh," April shrugged.

Rory narrowed her eyes at her mother, then nudged April. "I'll tell you the whole story later," she promised.

"That is the whole story!" Luke insisted.

"Sure, Daddy Luke."

The term of endearment slipped naturally from her lips, and he felt his own mouth turning upwards into a smile. Lorelai offered him an affectionate gaze before she turned back to the girls. "You two ready for the big house reveal tomorrow?" she asked. Both responses were positive, but April's was the slightest bit more enthusiastic than Rory's. Lorelai met her daughter's gaze and offered her an understanding smile. "Normally we don't leave the house on Christmas day, but Luke's insisting on it," she said.

"All your presents are there," he shrugged. "It seemed pointless to bring them here only to move them again."

"What are they?"

"I'm not telling."

Lorelai turned to Rory. "Quick, give him the Rory face," she instructed.

Rory obeyed, turning to Luke with her mouth slightly upturned, her eyes wide and vulnerable.

"It's not going to work."

Lorelai scoffed. "So you'll tell her we're _engaged_ but you won't tell her her Christmas present?" she asked. "Real fair."

"You can wait twelve hours."

"No, I really think the waiting may kill me," Lorelai said. "And do you really want me, the mother of your yet to be conceived babies, to die before we get married?"

Rory flinched slightly, and Luke turned to look at her with a frown. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"I said the b-word," Lorelai replied. "Rory hates pregnancy."

"Okay, I don't _hate_ pregnancy," Rory corrected. "It just grosses me out."

Luke shook his head slightly. "Well, that saves me from ever having to talk your mother over the ledge about being referred to as a grandmother, so thanks for that," he said.

Lorelai smacked his shoulder. "Whatever, Grandpa Luke."

"I think human pregnancies are quite fascinating," April piped up, and Rory and Lorelai both fought back laughter at the expression of disbelief that came over Luke's face. "It's especially interesting how helpless babies are when they're born in comparison to other mammals. The childbirth process is also…"

"Okay, having been the only person in the room to actually _experience_ this particular event, I'm effectively putting an end to this conversation," Lorelai stated. "You," she pointed to Rory. "Better get used to the idea of pregnancy talk. You," now she pointed to April, "should know by now how using words like 'pregnancy' and 'fascinating' in the same sentence may make me a widow before I'm even married, and you," Luke looked up at her expectantly, "will never, ever, use the word _grandmother_ in the same sentence as my name ever again."

Each of them nodded obediently, and Lorelai nodded in satisfaction. "Good," she said.

Rory poked gently at the gingerbread house. "Should we put it somewhere Paul Anka won't get into it?" she asked.

"I'll move it to the kitchen table," Luke nodded. "You guys heading to bed soon?"

"I am, I'm tired," Rory sighed. "It's weird to not have anything to do for a whole week."

"Hello?" Lorelai frowned. "Watching your mother get married might make it onto a to do list at some point."

"I mean no work stuff," Rory corrected. "I can actually read a book for pleasure."

"It will be nice to have a break from school," April added. "I'm reading a freshman level biology textbook so I'm prepared for next year. I never have time to do stuff like that when I have actual homework to do."

"Have fun with that," Lorelai said, she stood and pulled April in for a tight embrace. "Make sure you call your mom before you go to bed. I know from experience it's weird not having your kid with you at Christmas."

"I will," April said. "Thanks, Lorelai."

"Night, sweetie."

Luke stood and reached for the baking sheet upon which the gingerbread house rested. "I'll put this in the kitchen," he said.

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai smiled. When he was gone, she turned to Rory. "I'm so glad you made it home this year."

"Me too," Rory sighed. "I'm sorry, about last year."

Lorelai waved a hand in dismissal. "To be perfectly honest, I don't think I'd have been up for a real Christmas holiday anyways," she said. "Thanks for giving me an excuse."

"Okay, well, then, you're welcome for last year."

Lorelai laughed, then turned to look at Rory. "I miss having you around," she admitted.

Rory leaned over and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "I miss being around," she said. "It's weird, how much has changed."

"I know," Lorelai said, wrapping an arm around her and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"It's our last Christmas here."

Lorelai rubbed her hand up and down Rory's arm. "I know," she said. "It's okay to be sad about it. I am."

"Is it bad that I don't feel guilty about not seeing Dad?" Rory whispered.

"Rory, that's your choice," Lorelai said. "I know he's your dad, but it's not like you've ever spent Christmas with him before, last year's after the fact pathetic attempts excluded. If you don't want to see him, it's okay. Or if you change your mind and want to call him, that's fine too."

Rory was quiet before she asked, "Is it bad that I like April better than Gigi?"

Lorelai sighed. "Some people get along better than others," she said.

"What if I don't like your kids?"

"Well, that's impossible, because they're going to be smart and beautiful and impossible not to love, just like their big sisters," Lorelai said.

"Mom…"

"Look, I know Gigi is your sister, biologically speaking, but she's…well, let's just say you probably would have turned out a lot differently if your dad had been around trying to take care of you," Lorelai said. "The poor girl doesn't exactly have parents who made the short list for parenting Olympics."

Rory giggled.

"Plus, you'll actually be spending time with your future siblings as they grow up, because I know you're planning on moving back to Stars Hollow the second the campaign is over," Lorelai admitted.

"Sure," Rory placated. "I'm really glad you ran away."

"Me too."

"I'm really glad you found Stars Hollow."

"Me too," Lorelai repeated. "If I'd had one more dollar, I'd have gotten off in Woodbridge, never would have met Luke. Or Sookie, or Patty."

"I'm glad you didn't have that dollar."

"You never would have met Dean or Lane."

Rory nodded approvingly. "It's a pretty good place to call home, if I do say so myself," she said.

"I concur," Lorelai smiled. "You heading to bed?"

"Yeah, I want to catch up on some sleep," Rory said. "Those hotel beds are just not comfortable."

"Sleep well," Lorelai said, pressing a kiss to Rory's forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

Rory retreated into the kitchen and Lorelai set to work turning off the lights and cleaning up their mess. She left the lights on the Christmas tree shining, and after a moment she turned to look at the fireplace, admiring the five stockings that hung from its ledge.

She sighed happily when she felt a familiar pair of strong arms slip around her waist, and a set of warm lips make contact with her neck. She leaned back into Luke's embrace and rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm getting into sappy mode," she murmured.

Luke sighed and leaned down to rest his chin on her shoulder. "It's okay, I was there earlier," he murmured.

Lorelai trailed her fingers over his arms where they were resting on her stomach. "I never wanted to admit how much I wanted this," she murmured. "I knew I _could_ make it on my own, with Rory, but I always wanted someone to share it with. I was scared to admit it, in case I never got it."

"You admitted it to me, more than once."

"I guess I did," she conceded, remembering more than one late night meltdown in the diner about finding someone to spend her life with. How had she been so stupid not to realize that the man she was talking to was the one who would one day fill that missing spot in her life? "I wish I'd realized it sooner. I wish we hadn't wasted all that time."

He straightened and turned her to face him. "We still have time," he promised her.

"I know," she said.

He could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes-happiness, regret, excitement, confusion, and love-and he knew he had to make those negative emotions disappear. "Let's go up," he said, pulling her towards the stairs.

Lorelai smirked as she followed him. "I am so glad you got over your fear of having sex while the girls are in the house, because I positively can't resist a line like that," she said.

"What can I say, the ladies love a smooth talker," Luke said, closing their bedroom door behind them.

She smiled as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "What do you say we make some new, not family friendly, Christmas Eve traditions?" she asked.

Luke leaned down to kiss her deeply. "I think that's a very good plan," he said in a low voice.

Lorelai smiled and stepped out of his embrace, sitting down on the end of the bed. "Strip for me, burger boy," she commanded, earning herself an eye roll and a flannel shirt tossed into her face.

XXXXX

Seven hours later, a very warm, very familiar, and very welcome pair of lips pulled Luke from his sleep as they trailed over his chest and down to his stomach. He kept his eyes closed as Lorelai slid her body on top of his, but just as she began to cross into dangerous territory, she worked her way back up to his lips.

"I know you're awake," she whispered into his ear, her hands moving over his chest.

He sighed and opened his eyes, reaching to run his hand over her shoulder. "Hey."

"Hey." She leaned down to kiss him deeply. "Merry Christmas, almost husband."

He laughed slightly. "Merry Christmas, beautiful girl."

She beamed as she slid to his side and snuggled into him. "As much as I'd love some Christmas morning loving, I'd rather not be interrupted if the girls decide to come get us," she admitted.

Luke sighed. "I guess not," he said.

Lorelai giggled at his disappointed tone. "Didn't get enough last night?" she asked.

"With you, I'll never have enough," he replied.

"Oh, sappy Luke's making an appearance today!" Lorelai said.

"I'm just so glad we're here," he admitted. "Maybe we're not doing such a good job forgetting the past, because I just keep thinking about how hard last Christmas was."

Lorelai nodded, her face sobering. "Yeah, it was," she admitted. "I um…I ended up outside the diner last Christmas Eve."

He looked down at her in surprise. "You what?" he asked.

Lorelai sighed and slid out of bed. She pulled on his flannel over her pajamas and wrapped it protectively around herself, then sat down on the end of the bed, facing him. "I didn't mean to," she admitted. "I was working for two days straight so I didn't have to be at home without Rory and with Christopher. But I took a walk around midnight to clear my head, and ended up outside the diner, leaning against your truck and wishing that I was inside with you."

"Lorelai," he sighed, reaching for her hand.

"I almost did it," she murmured. "I knew where the spare key was, I almost went inside and told you how sorry I was and how badly I'd messed up, and that all I still wanted was you."

He was relieved she hadn't. He'd probably been over halfway through his six pack at that point, and wouldn't have been accountable for what he'd said to her or done with her had she come upstairs. "Why didn't you?" he finally asked.

"I realized that you'd been hurt enough by me," she whispered. "The last time I'd ambushed you like that you weren't exactly receptive. Then I remembered how you'd been pushing me away, and I just realized it was a stupid idea. So I went back to the inn and ignored Christopher's calls for the entire day."

"I thought you were here," Luke admitted. "I knew Rory was gone, but in my head, you were here with him, having a perfect Christmas, and that made me so…I don't even know, sad, or angry, or something."

"I couldn't do it," Lorelai said. "He wanted to, and thank God Rory went to London, because I couldn't do the big Christmas thing with him. Even when we celebrated when Rory got back, he got these horrible stockings and just…made everything all wrong."

Luke didn't respond, but instead slid out of bed and pulled a t-shirt on over his sweatpants. He retreated into the bathroom, and Lorelai briefly wondered what she'd said to upset him. Just as she was about to cross the room to go after him, he appeared, hands on his hips, and asked, "You'd tell me, right? If I did something that bugged you, you'd tell me?"

"You don't bug me," Lorelai replied. "Except when you cut me off from my coffee."

"I'm serious," Luke said. "I mean, last time with the bathroom tiles and the bedroom furniture, you just let it smolder until it exploded. If I bring home Christmas stockings that felt wrong, you have to tell me."

Lorelai could see an old expression of fear and nerves in his eyes, one that she'd seen when they'd first become engaged and he was afraid of hurting her feelings when she was already upset about Rory. "I'll tell you," she said. "And you have to tell me _before_ you make major life choices."

Luke nodded and stepped closer to her. He traced a finger over her lips and requested, "No more fake smiling."

She nodded and reached for his hand. "Always come home?" she requested. "No more four AM emergency sugar packet deliveries?"

"I haven't done that in years!"

"Promise me."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I promise." He was quiet for a moment before he requested, "No more hiding pregnancy scares from me."

Lorelai inhaled sharply and stepped back. "How did you know about that?" she asked.

"Sookie let it slip once in an argument about why I should give her the pork chops recipe," he replied. "Don't ask me, she's your friend," he replied at her confused look. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. "I would have been there, when you took the test."

She shrugged. "There was no test," she said. "I was late, we'd gotten drunk in New York and I was switching birth control, so we should've used a condom. I freaked out because I wanted an apple, but then nature took its course the next day and told me there was no baby."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

Knowing his insecurities on the topic, Lorelai stepped back and wrapped her arms protectively over herself. "We'd just gotten back together, and I was afraid that it would be too much for you," she whispered. "But I would have told you, Luke, if it had turned into anything at all. Please, at least know that."

"I do," he said sincerely. "I'm not comparing you to Anna. It was years ago, it doesn't matter, but if it happens again…"

"I'll call you the second I suspect anything," Lorelai promised.

"Thank you," he said.

She was quiet for a moment, then shook her head slightly. "It would have been bad," she said. "I would have been giving birth right before April's birthday. Think about how a baby would have thrown a wrench into everything that happened that year."

"We weren't ready," he admitted. "For the record, I still would have been excited."

"I know," Lorelai said. "Me too. But I'm glad there wasn't a baby, because with Rory being gone and then April appearing and then you...I wouldn't know now. I wouldn't know that you'd worked things out with me for me, and not our baby."

"And I wouldn't know if you'd taken me back because of me or because of our baby."

Lorelai sighed and wiped a small tear away from the corner of her eye. "Wow, pretty heavy conversation for Christmas morning, huh?" she asked.

"Sorry," he said, pushing her hand aside to brush her tear away with his thumb. "I love you, Lorelai Gilmore."

She smiled brightly, wanting to switch to a happier topic. "So…I've been thinking," she said softly. "I know I said I didn't want to take your name, but I may have changed my mind."

Luke's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You did?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. She reached for his left hand, pressing a kiss to the place where his wedding ring would rest in a few short days. "I mean, you're going to wear a ring. I should go a little outside of my comfort zone too."

"It doesn't matter to me," Luke told her honestly. "I mean, I'd be…honored, I guess, but it's not like we're any less married if you keep your name."

"I know," she said. "Just like we wouldn't be any less married if you didn't wear a ring. But there's something exhilarating about sharing your name. Like…I'll be telling the world that I'm connected to you. And when we have kids, it would be really horrible to have a different last name than them."

He frowned. "What about Rory?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "I'm not going to drop the Gilmore," she said. "I was thinking of hyphenating. Lorelai Victoria Gilmore-Danes."

Luke nodded a smile spreading across his face. "Sounds beautiful," he nodded.

"I thought so," she said with a nod. "A bit of a mouthful, though."

Luke scoffed. "Well, then it's perfect for you."

She gasped and pushed past him towards the door. "Just for that, I'm not sharing my coffee with you," she informed him.

"I think I'll survive."

She laughed as she led him down the stairs. "Well, I guess our sleeping beauties haven't been kissed by prince charming yet," she said, noticing the empty living room. "Want to try to guess what's in our presents?"

"Be patient."

"You should know by now that I'm not good at that."

"Learn."

She walked into the kitchen and cracked the door to Rory's bedroom open. Both girls were still sound asleep, and she pulled the door closed again. "They're both on west coast time, I guess," she said softly to Luke. "Guess we could have made that Christmas morning love nest after all."

"Tonight," Luke promised, handing her a cup of coffee.

She smiled and accepted it, leaning up to kiss him. "How about some light making out?" she requested.

He offered her a smirk and pulled her closer. "That we can do."

"Good, because I wasn't really giving you a choice," she said. She set her coffee on the table and then turned back to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

Luke brushed her hair off her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her, gently at first. Their mouths quickly fell into a familiar battle for power, and after a moment, Lorelai smiled into the kiss. "Is that a candy cane in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" she whispered against his lips.

Luke's response was to turn her slightly, pressing her lower body against the counter as he claimed her mouth with his own. Lorelai sighed happily, and began to slide her hands under his t-shirt. Luke gently ran his hands over her waist, but just as he was reaching under the flannel she was wearing, a gasp broke through their kiss.

"Seriously, it's first thing in the morning!" Rory's irritated voice said, causing Luke and Lorelai to turn towards her. She was standing in the doorway to the room, a hand clamped over her eyes. "Tell me when I can open my eyes."

Luke's face turned bright red and Lorelai offered his arm a pat before she slid out of his embrace. "It wasn't what it looked like," she said in a singsong voice.

"Really?" Rory asked, still not moving her hand off her eyes. "Because it looked like you were making out and blocking my way to the coffee maker."

"Okay, then it was exactly what it looked like," Lorelai replied. "You can look now."

Rory tentatively separated her fingers and peeked through. "You do realize you have a room, right?"

Lorelai shrugged. "More fun to give you some delayed childhood trauma," she said, handing her a cup of coffee. "Merry Christmas, Lorelai Gilmore."

Rory finally smiled back. "Merry Christmas, Lorelai Gilmore," she repeated. "Merry Christmas, Luke."

Luke mumbled something in response, not making eye contact with Rory, and instead fiddling with the tea kettle.

"Hey, you do realize in four days you're going to have to kiss me in front of both our daughters, your sister, and my parents, right?" Lorelai asked Luke.

"Yeah, but not a gross kiss like that," Rory winced, coming to Luke's defense. "I think I may need that mind eraser stick from Men in Black."

"You're being dramatic," Lorelai said.

"You remember seeing Grandma and Grandpa kissing after they got back together?" Rory raised an eyebrow.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "Point taken," she nodded. "Sorry."

"You can make it up to me in coffee," Rory said, holding out her already half empty mug.

Having recovered from his embarrassment, Luke rolled his eyes. "You really should try to control that," he informed her.

Rory and Lorelai both stared at him in disbelief for a long moment. "You don't know us at all," Lorelai said, her tone faking hurt.

"I'm not stopping you, just observing," Luke shrugged.

"Well, stop observing, because it's only going to make me cranky," Lorelai said.

"Is April still asleep?" Luke asked Rory.

"Yes, lucky her," Rory said. "She'd probably need a lobotomy if she'd been the one to interrupt a few minutes ago."

Lorelai scoffed. "Like you've never made out over coffee," she said.

"Pleading the fifth," Rory replied, causing Luke to frown.

Before he could say anything, April appeared in the doorway, bleary eyed behind her glasses. "Morning," she said.

"Morning sweetie," Lorelai said with a smile. "Merry Christmas!"

April smiled shyly as she looked at the floor. "Merry Christmas," she replied hesitantly.

"Okay, now that we're all up, present time!" Lorelai cried.

She and Rory ran into the living room, leaving Luke and April alone in the kitchen. Luke sighed as he turned to look at his daughter. "We may be in over our heads here, kid," he said.

April smiled slightly. "You haven't been here for Christmas before?" she asked.

"The season, yes," he said, handing her a mug full of hot chocolate. "The day, no."

"Oh," April said. "I thought…before me…"

"Nope, we're both new to this Gilmore Christmas thing," he said, sensing her hesitation. He held out his mug of tea to her. "We'll stick together."

April smiled and clinked her mug against his. "Deal," she said.

"We're going to start without you!" Lorelai's impatient voice traveled into the kitchen, and Luke gestured to the living room. As he followed April in the living room, he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Lorelai and Rory were seated cross legged on the floor, and Paul Anka was sitting happily between them. The presents had already been sorted into piles, and the lights on the Christmas tree were glowing happily. He briefly remembered Christmases past, when his mother had put Christmas music on in the background and his father had always seemed to produce a hockey stick or baseball glove as a last minute present for him.

"Okay, youngest to oldest," Lorelai said, nodding to April as she and Luke sat down on the couch. "Go ahead, sweetie."

April's eyes widened, but she reached for a present in front of her, ripping off the paper and smiling at the leather bound notebook in front of her. "An experiment notebook!" she exclaimed, flipping through the pages that were filled with empty grids and lines for hypotheses. "Thanks, Lorelai!"

Lorelai beamed. "I thought you'd like it," she said. She turned to Rory and said, "Hurry up, because I'm after you."

Rory rolled her eyes. "I think I'll take my time," she said, slowly reaching for a box and causing her mother to groan.

Luke let himself relax and enjoy the next hour, taking in the way Rory had lit up at the new laptop bag from Lorelai and pen set from April, who had squealed in delight when she'd torn open Rory's gift to reveal a set of scientific biographies. Lorelai had beamed when she'd received a vintage Breakfast at Tiffany's poster from Rory and offered April a heartfelt thank you for the turquoise jewelry set, straight off a Native American reservation in New Mexico.

For his own part, Luke had considered himself especially spoiled. Rory had gifted him with a set of baseball cards, one she'd picked up from every city she'd visited over the past six months, and April had presented him with a new tackle box, both of which had been heartfelt gifts he'd appreciated. Lorelai's gift to him was a new watch, engraved with three simple words on the back: _All In, Forever._ Although he usually wasn't one for fancy watches, he knew he'd wear this one every day without question.

"Now we have to wait until we get to the house for Luke's gifts," Lorelai said dramatically once all the gifts were opened.

"I am curious to see the new house," April said.

"And get more presents," Rory added.

He shrugged, meeting Lorelai's gaze. "We can go whenever," he said.

"That we can," she agreed. "How about we break to get dressed and meet back here in twenty?"

"Twenty?" Luke asked dubiously.

Lorelai shot him a look. "Fine," she said. "Thirty."

An hour and a half later, all three girls were finally dressed and ready to go, and Luke shot Lorelai a glare as he pulled his coat on. "Thirty, huh?" he asked.

"Hey, it's Christmas, we're allowed to take our time on Christmas," Lorelai defended.

"Are we walking?" April asked as the four of them started across the yard.

"Yep, it's only a couple blocks away," Lorelai said, her gloved hand reaching for Luke's. "We've walked past it thousands of times, Rory."

"I know, I recognized it from the pictures you sent," Rory confirmed. "I can't believe we never knew it was your house, Luke."

"Didn't seem to matter before," he said with a shrug. "There are two extra bedrooms, but we're leaving it up to you two to decide who gets which."

"Technically there are three," Lorelai corrected. "But we thought the smaller bedroom would be best for your future brother or sister. If either of you wants it, though, we'll be sure to make that known once the kid is born."

"It's impressive how far in advance you're anticipating the sibling rivalry," Rory stated.

"It's a talent," Lorelai said. She and Luke stopped on the sidewalk, and she turned to look at the girls. "This is it."

"It's bigger than I remember," Rory said.

"This is where you grew up, Dad?" April asked.

"Yep," Luke nodded. He pointed to a tree to the right of the front door. "That's the tree I slammed into when I broke my arm."

"Hey, is there still a dent?" Lorelai asked. "We should look."

"There's no dent," Luke rolled his eyes.

"There could be," Lorelai argued, following him up the walkway.

He ignored her as he unlocked the front door. "Go ahead," he said, stepping aside to allow Rory and April inside first. "Wow," April said, peering into the dining room.

"We'll give you a full tour later, but I know you're going to explode if you don't get your gifts soon," he said.

Lorelai smiled as she trailed behind the girls, who following Luke through the living room to the library. She focused on her own daughter, trying to determine if there was any resentment towards the new house, but so far she'd seen none. And when Luke pushed the sliding door to the library open, the expression on Rory's face was one of wonder and excitement. She could already see Rory's brain churning as to how to organize her books. Luke's gift to her would be perfect.

Luke cleared his throat and placed his hand on April's shoulder. "The desk is yours," he said, gesturing with his free hand to the carved desk that sat in front of the fireplace. "Once you choose a room, we'll move it up there for you."

"It's beautiful!" April exclaimed, hurrying towards it to test the drawers. "Did you make it?"

Luke shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged self consciously. "Yeah, I thought you might need a spot to do homework or read or whatever."

"I love it!" April cried, running back to him and hugging him tightly. "Thanks, Dad!"

Luke leaned down to drop a kiss onto the top of her head. "No problem, kid."

April moved back to the desk, examining it carefully, and Luke watched her for a moment before he turned to Rory. "Yours is kind of a work in progress," he said. He reached onto one of the empty bookshelves and handed her a long, slim gift.

Rory looked at him carefully before she tore the paper off. A small wooden sign was carved with the word _classics._ She looked up at Luke wordlessly.

Clearing his throat, he explained, "I know you won't be here all the time, but I know you like your books organized in a very specific way," he said. "So if you make me a list of the categories you use, I'll carve more signs you can use to separate each section of books in here. I'll make them easy to change in case you want to rearrange, or get more books and need to change shelves or something."

Rory was shocked at the thought he'd put behind the gift. Clearly Luke had been trying to find something to get her that would be both practical and unique to her, and she had succeeded. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "I…it's perfect!"

Luke reached out to return the hug she offered, and Rory turned to look around the library with wide eyes. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed.

"We thought that would be the selling point for you," Lorelai said, stepping closer to Luke.

"I'll have to strategize which books go where," Rory said, running her hand over one of the shelves.

Lorelai watched as both girls became involved in an in depth conversation about book organization and how each shelf should be arranged. Luke shook his head slightly and ducked his head down to her. "How did _we_ end up with the smart kids?" he asked.

She giggled. "I've been wondering that since Rory begged me to let her read Moby Dick when she was four," she said. "I was still giggling at the title."

Luke laughed and turned her gently towards the door. "Let's give them some time to talk books," he suggested. "Your gift is in the piano room."

"Is it a piano?" Lorelai asked.

"No," Luke said. "I guess we'll have to figure out another use for that room once we move in."

"We will," Lorelai nodded. When she stepped into the room before Luke, her eyes widened at the sight of her dollhouse sitting on a window seat in the corner. "Oh my god," she gasped, stepping closer to run her hand over the roof. "How in the world did you fix this?"

Luke stepped closer as she turned to look at him. "I know how much it meant to you," he said. "And when you told me what happened to it, it made me sad for you. I knew that it was one of the only good parts of your childhood. So I asked Sookie if she'd ever gotten it fixed, but she said that it was beyond repair. This isn't your original house. I um, called your mom, who gave me the name of the original designer, and had an exact replica made."

"I can't believe you did this," Lorelai breathed, reaching to wrap her arms around his neck. "It's perfect, Luke, thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," he murmured, hugging her back tightly.

Lorelai stepped out of his embrace to kneel on the floor and examine the dollhouse more closely. "It's exactly the same," she observed. "You willingly called my mom and got her to do what you wanted? You're going to have to tell me how you did that."

"She was actually pretty nice about it," Luke conceded. "With the exception of the wedding plans, she's been okay lately."

"Yeah, she has," Lorelai acknowledged. She tried to fight the memory of her breakdown in the real estate office nearly two years earlier, when her mother had shown her motherly concern and comfort, or at least as much as she could. She'd seemed genuinely sorry that Lorelai had thought she couldn't make things work with Luke. "She um…I think she likes you."

Luke smiled as Lorelai stood, and he could see a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said with a shake of her head.

"Lorelai…" he clearly didn't believe her.

"I mean it, nothing is wrong," she said honestly. "But that's what's scary to me."

Luke frowned as he reached for her hand. "It scares you that things are good?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm afraid that this is all some perfect, wonderful dream. At any point, I could wake up, and Rory will be off on the campaign trail, you'll still be living above the diner hating me, my ring will still be hidden under my make up, and I still won't have gotten to spend any time with April. It's terrifying that this could all disappear."

He sighed and pulled her into an embrace. "I wish there was something I could do," he murmured.

"You're doing it," she whispered into his jacket. "I don't know, maybe there are still some kinks to be worked out in my warped brain."

He rubbed her back reassuringly. "If you want to start going back to Abby, you can, you know," he said.

"I know," she said. "It's not that I'm unhappy, Luke. I'm so happy, and I don't understand why I can't just accept that, without being scared."

He sighed and reached up to run his fingers through her hair. "If you want me to go with you to figure it out, I will," he offered.

She pulled back and ran her fingers over his cheek, smiling up at him affectionately. "I know you would," she said. "I love you for that. But I think there are some things I have to do on my own."

"Okay," he said, turning his head to press a gentle kiss to her palm. "If you change your mind…"

"I'll let you know," she said. She turned in his arms, looking back at the dollhouse. "I love the dollhouse. It was so thoughtful, Luke."

He rubbed her back. "I'm glad," he said.

She turned to look at him, her eyes having regained her usual sparkle. "We should get to work on making a little girl to use it," she suggested.

He raised his eyebrows. "I think I'm up for the challenge," he agreed.

Lorelai looped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "We're getting married in four days," she murmured. "We could make a honeymoon baby."

His hands moved to unbutton her pink coat. "We could," he agreed.

Lorelai sighed happily and kissed him again, her body pressed tightly against his. Her mind briefly flashed to the girls, and Rory's look of disgust when she'd walked into the kitchen that morning, but when Luke moved his lips to her jawline all practical thought was lost.

"Hmmm," she sighed in pleasure, tilting her head to the side as he gently took her earlobe into his mouth. "I love when you do that."

Luke gently nipped at the skin before he pulled back. "I know," he replied.

Their lips met again in a passionate kiss, and Lorelai could feel her brain start to cloud the way it always did when Luke kissed her like this. She had just started to push his jacket over his shoulders when she heard her daughter's voice once again interrupt them.

"Are you serious? There is one minor and two very disgusted daughters in the room."

Lorelai giggled as she stepped out of Luke's arms. Rory was squeezing her eyes tightly closed as her hands covered April's eyes. "Sorry, Mom," Lorelai mocked.

"You two are worse than teenagers," Rory informed them.

"Can we look yet?" April asked tentatively.

Lorelai glanced at Luke and snickered. "Well, if you're giving us the _choice…"_

"Stop," Luke ordered. "You can look. It won't happen again."

Lorelai gasped, offended, and Rory rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she muttered.

"Who wants a tour?" Lorelai asked, gesturing to Luke. "Cool Hand here gives the best ones in the state."

Luke gestured to the stairs. "Want to see your rooms?" he asked.

April's eyes lit up and she followed Luke up the stairs. Lorelai started to follow them, but stopped when she saw Rory smirking at her. "Aren't you coming?" she asked.

"Yeah," Rory said. She followed her mother to the stairs and commented, "I'm surprised you two haven't been arrested for public indecency."

Lorelai patted herself proudly on the chest. "Excuse me, we're only privately indecent people," she said. "Except when you decide to walk in on us."

Rory grimaced. "Not by choice," she said.

"What can I say, I'm a woman in love," Lorelai shrugged. She glanced at Rory and said, "You'll get it one day."

Rory nodded slowly. "I hope so," she whispered.

"You will," Lorelai said, wrapping her arm around her daughter.

April bounced towards them, pointing to where Luke stood in the doorway of his former bedroom. "This was Dad's bedroom!" she reported.

"I know, hard to imagine Butch in there surrounded by all his trophies, isn't it?" Lorelai asked.

Rory smiled as she peered into the room. "I don't know, I can see him sorting his baseball cards and hanging Star Trek posters," she commented

Luke shot her a look, then turned to April. "It's up to you two whose room is whose," he said. "Once you've got that figured out, we'll make sure your stuff gets put in the right room during the move."

"You can have your dad's room," Rory said to April.

"Are you sure?" April asked.

"Yeah, it's bigger, you'll need more room for your experiments and stuff," Rory nodded. "All my books will be in the library, so I'll need less space."

"Thanks!" April cried.

"Well, that was easy," Lorelai muttered to Luke.

"We are excellent parents," he agreed.

She giggled as she leaned into him. "We are, if I do say so myself," she agreed.

XXXXX

Lorelai stretched as she woke, allowing her body to slowly come back into consciousness. She glanced at the clock and seeing that it read 9:30 was unsurprised that Luke was not beside her. She turned onto her side and glanced at his side of the bed, frowning slightly when she realized that his pillows were perfectly poised. Usually he slid out of bed and left it unmade, wanting to disturb her as little as possible.

With a shrug, she stumbled out of bed and down the stairs. "Rory?" she called. "April? Anyone home?"

She was met with silence, so she put some coffee on to brew and went back upstairs to get dressed. She tossed on a pair of jeans and a sweater, eager to get to the diner where the girls had presumably gone for breakfast.

Once her coffee was in a to go mug, she pulled on her coat and climbed into the Jeep, wanting to get to breakfast as quickly as possible. As she drove, her cell phone rang, and she smiled when she saw Rory's name flashing across the screen.

"Hello, favorite daughter!"

"Hi, Mom!"

"What are you and your sister up to?"

There was silence on the other end of the line, and then Rory asked, "Gigi?"

"Uh, no, I was talking about April."

"April?" Rory repeated.

"Yeah," Lorelai nodded as she parked the Jeep outside the diner. She remained in the car, but smiled when she saw Luke's figure appear in the window.

"Like…Luke's daughter April?"

Lorelai frowned. "The one and only," she said.

Rory was quiet again, then asked gently, "Mom, are you okay?"

"Yes," Lorelai replied. "Why are you acting weird?"

"Mom…April's not my sister."

"Well, not officially, but it's only a couple days until the wedding," Lorelai replied.

"Luke's wedding?"

"Yes, and mine," Lorelai said carefully.

Rory let out a sharp breath. "Mom, you cancelled your wedding to Luke," she said softly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Lorelai could feel her head starting to hurt. What was she missing? "I'm fine, Rory," she said. "Where are you? We can talk in person."

"I'm in London," Rory replied hesitantly. "Mom, maybe Dad should take you to the doctor."

"What?" Lorelai asked. "Dad?"

"Yeah, isn't he there?" Rory asked.

"No, he's in Hartford, presumably," Lorelai said.

"Mom, I…"

Lorelai stopped listening when she saw Luke step out of the diner, April bouncing excitedly behind him. She smiled and started to climb out of the car, but froze when she saw Anna following behind them. Lorelai's stomach began to churn as she watched Luke wrap an arm around Anna, and when the family turned to walk across the street, Lorelai could see the prominently rounded shape of Anna's stomach.

"What?" she asked, dropping her cell phone and looking down at her left hand. Her engagement ring had been replaced by the gold band she'd worn when she'd been married to Christopher. "No!"

She tried to push the door of the car open and run after Luke, but it was stuck. She pushed her entire body weight against it, desperately trying to get to Luke and tell him that this was all wrong, that it should be her who was walking with him and April, that she should be the one pregnant with his next baby. She finally was able to get the door open and she called his name, causing him to turn and look at her.

"Lorelai?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

No words came out of her mouth as the world started to swirl around her, but Luke's voice was clear. "What's wrong? Lorelai?"

"No!" she screamed when she felt herself being pulled away from him. "Luke!"

"Lorelai, wake up. It's okay, I'm right here."

Lorelai's eyes snapped open and she clutched Luke's arms tightly with both hands. He was leaning over her with concern in his eyes, and she glanced around the room wildly, trying to separate her dream from reality. "Luke?"

"I'm here," he nodded.

"You're here," she said, relief filling her body. "You're here."

"I think you were having a bad dream," he said softly. "You were moving like crazy and were practically shouting."

"I…" Lorelai tried to catch her breath. It had all seemed so real, so true, and she quickly raised her left hand up. "My ring is here."

He glanced at her hand and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Did you lose it in your dream?"

Lorelai raised her hand to her forehead and pushed her hair back before she shook her head slightly. "No. Or…yes." She pushed herself to sit up, her gaze meeting Luke's. "I saw you," she said. "With April and Anna in the town square. You were going to marry Anna. She was pregnant. It was like…like what would have been right now if I'd stayed with Christopher. Rory was in London and you were with Anna and she was pregnant, with your baby and I was trying to get to you, to tell you it was wrong, but the car door wouldn't open and I couldn't get to you. I was so scared, it was all wrong!"

"Oh, Lorelai," he sighed, pulling her into his arms. He remembered her confession from that afternoon, that she was scared of everything they had built together disappearing, and he gently rubbed his hand over her back as she sobbed into his shoulder, clutching his t-shirt tightly. "It's okay, it was just a dream."

"It felt so real," she whimpered. "God, Luke, it was horrible. I couldn't do anything. And she…she was holding your hand and you were touching her stomach, and April looked so happy."

"That's never going to happen," Luke said firmly. "The only person I'll ever have a baby with is you."

"I just…I can't," Lorelai gasped. She tried to gain control of her tears, and she pulled back to look at him. Her eyes were swollen and filled with fear, and he hated that he had no idea how to fix that. "I can't lose you, Luke. It was so awful, seeing you with her."

"It was a dream," he repeated.

"It wasn't just a dream," she insisted. "It was real, it was everything I'm afraid of."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm here," he promised. "I'm not going anywhere, ever. I promise."

She wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "We're still getting married?" she asked, her voice vulnerable.

"In three days," he assured her.

"We still have a house?"

"We still have a house."

She bit her lip and asked, "You still want a baby?"

"More than anything," Luke promised. He reached to stroke her cheek. "I'll make you some coffee, it'll calm you down."

"No!" she said, her grasp on his arm tightening. "Don't leave me."

The reality of how much her dream had scared her began to sink in, and Luke settled back onto the mattress. "Okay," he said. "Are you okay?"

Fresh tears filled Lorelai's eyes. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I don't…I know it was a dream, but I just can't stop seeing it."

He sighed and reached for her hand. He trailed his thumb over the diamond of her engagement ring. "I wish I knew how to help."

"You're doing it," Lorelai said softly.

"I wish I could do more."

She leaned into his side, tucking herself into his embrace. "Tell me you love me."

"I love you," he said firmly. "So much."

"Tell me it's going to be okay."

He pulled the blankets up over them and shifted them both so they were laying down. "It's going to be okay."

Her voice cracked slightly on her next words. "Tell me you'll never leave."

"Oh, Lorelai," he sighed, tightening his grip on her. "I'll never leave."

She tried to get even closer to him, her grip around his waist tightening. "I'm scared," she admitted.

He hated the vulnerability in her voice. "I know," he said softly.

"I want to let myself be happy."

"I want that too."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

She squeezed her eyes shut, but quickly popped them open when she saw the happy smile on Luke's face as he'd walked with Anna and April. "Don't let go," she requested softly.

His lips pressed against the top of her head. "Never," he promised. He'd never seen her this vulnerable, and he tightened his grip on her, know that he would do anything to make sure she got through this.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for all the reviews! I read every one, and am so glad to hear your thoughts and opinions on this version of Luke and Lorelai.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter. They're finally tying the knot, in this universe at least!**

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"Hey, handsome, want to buy the bride a drink?"

Luke turned to look at Lorelai as she appeared at his side. "Sure," he said, looking pointedly around Sniffy's. "See her anywhere?"

Lorelai gasped and smacked his shoulder playfully. "It's not too late for me to back out, you know," she informed him.

"Yes it is," Luke smirked as he reached for her hand. "I know you'd never part with the ring."

"True," Lorelai smiled as she laced her fingers through his. "How about that drink?"

He led her across the room to the bar, and after she had a drink in her hand she commented, "I can't believe Buddy and Maisie closed the whole place down for us."

Luke glanced over to the corner table where Maisie and Liz were cooing over Doula. "I think they're shocked this day finally came," he admitted.

"And so grateful to me for taming your wild bachelor lifestyle," Lorelai nodded knowingly.

He took a sip of beer, then nudged her arm slightly with his elbow. "Check that out."

Lorelai followed his gaze to where Emily was cornered by TJ, an expression of horror and disbelief written across her face as he gestured towards her shoes. "I so hope he's offering to become her shoe guy," Lorelai said.

"With that small exception, everything's working well, isn't it?" he commented. "Both our families here together?"

Lorelai glanced around the room. Richard and Buddy were admiring the structure of the building, and Jess was engaged in a somber game of chess with April. Rory had wandered over to Liz and Maisie, and had tentatively taken Doula into her arms. "Yeah, I guess it is," she said.

"Was it weird for Rory?" he murmured. "Seeing Jess?"

Lorelai turned to examine Rory's demeanor, then shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "I mean, it's probably a little strange, to have her mom marry into her ex-boyfriend's family, but it's not like she hasn't had time to get used to it. They've been broken up for years, and we're certainly not rushing into this."

He nodded, then turned to look at her. "And how are you?" he asked.

She flashed him a smile. "I'll be better in about twenty hours," she said.

"I'm serious," he said, his gaze holding hers. "The nightmares are worrying me."

Lorelai sighed and pushed her hair behind her ears. "I know, but I can't exactly control them," she said.

"It's been happening every night."

"I know, I've been there," she snapped, then took a deep breath. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he murmured. "I just don't want you to be stressed on our wedding day."

"I won't be," Lorelai promised. "Really, Luke, I don't know what's bringing them on. But the fact that in nineteen hours and fifty eight minutes I'll be your wife makes me so happy."

"Good," he said. He offered her the small half smile he reserved only for her, then turned back to the dining room. "Do you think we'll be able to make it around the guards tonight?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I don't think so, I overheard April and Rory using the words 'stake out' and 'preventative measures' when they were planning our separation," she sighed.

"We could make a break for it now, while they're all distracted," he said. "Hide out in my old apartment and lock them out."

Lorelai perked up and squeezed his arm. "We so could," she said.

"I was kidding."

"I wasn't," she said, taking his glass out of his hand and placing it on the bar. "Let's go."

"We can't just leave our own rehearsal dinner," Luke protested as she dragged him towards the door.

"Do you want to spend the night together or not?" Lorelai asked.

He stopped and tilted his head to the side. "Depends how sexy your underwear is," he deadpanned.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and dropped his hand. "I changed my mind, I'll enjoy my nice big bed at the inn tonight all by myself," she said as she stopped beside the door.

"Where do you think you two are going?" Jess appeared out of nowhere, arms crossed over his chest and eyebrows raised suspiciously.

"Just taking a smoke break, you know how it is," Lorelai shrugged casually.

Jess rolled his eyes, then nodded to the table where Rory was now challenging April to chess. "You should just be glad it was me and not those two that caught you crazy kids," he said. "They've got back up plans for their back up plans."

Lorelai frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "This is so not fair," she pouted.

"We're just going to drive back to the Dragonfly," Luke promised his nephew. "To exchange gifts."

"Nice save," Lorelai muttered.

Jess eyed them skeptically before he said, "I can buy you ten minutes. Don't waste them making out in the car."

"We don't do that," Luke retorted.

Jess reached out to pat him on the arm. "Not what my cousins are telling me," he replied, then nodded towards the door. "Go before they realize you're gone."

Lorelai giggled as she followed Luke out the door. "If only I were wearing my wedding dress, we could sing Mrs. Robinson and pretend like we're in the Graduate," she commented.

"You sure it's not rude that we left?" he asked as he pulled the truck onto the road.

"They came to watch us practice getting married, we practiced getting married," Lorelai shrugged. "Besides, I bet Rory and April will already have a helicopter waiting to take you away from me when we get to the inn."

"I hate that tradition," he frowned.

"Me too," Lorelai agreed. "Just so you know, if you sneak out the window by the closet, you can climb down the drainpipe by the laundry room without being seen from the kitchen."

Luke shot her a skeptical gaze. "Do I want to know why you've snuck out of your own house?" he asked.

Sadness flashed briefly in Lorelai's eyes. "Just some nights I didn't exactly want to be home," she said.

He could infer that her sneak outs had something to do with their time apart and chose not to comment. Instead, as he pulled the car off the highway and stated, "you might want to duck down."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Ashamed to be seen with me?" she asked.

"No, but knowing the crackpots in this town, they've got some sort of plan to kidnap you if they see you in my car," Luke replied.

"They wouldn't do that."

As he drove past Miss Patty's, she saw a figure running towards them and was blinded by a flash. "The frog has captured the princess!" Kirk's voice yelled across the town square. "I repeat, the frog has captured the princess!"

"Is Kirk referring to me as a frog?" Luke frowned.

Lorelai reached over to pat his arm. "Don't worry, tomorrow you'll become a prince," she said sweetly.

"I'm trying to contain my joy."

She laughed as he pulled up to the inn and shut off the truck. "Do you think Sookie will let you upstairs with me?" she asked. "Maybe we should have just escaped to the boat."

He let out a sigh. "I haven't been this frustrated since I spent that damn summer in Maine," he muttered.

"Just focus on the fact that tomorrow night King Arthur can come out to play as many times as he wants," Lorelai stated.

He rolled his eyes as they climbed the front steps of the porch. "This is where it all started," he stated.

Lorelai looked fondly at the spot where he'd first kissed her, years ago. "It seems like yesterday," she said softly.

"And a lifetime ago," he sighed.

"I'm glad you were brave enough to do it," she stated. "I don't know that I ever would have been."

He squeezed her hand, then gently pulled her through the front door. "Want to try for upstairs?" he asked.

She shook her head, then tugged him towards the library. "We'll have less privacy down here, but they'll probably give us more time," she said. "Wait here, I'll get your present."

Before she turned towards the door, Luke pulled her close and kissed her deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him, then reached to stroke her fingers over his cheek. "Not that I'm complaining," she breathed heavily when they broke apart. "But what was that for?"

He kissed her again. "I just figured the tradition police wouldn't let me kiss you goodnight the way I want to," he replied. "Thought I'd take the chance while I still had it."

Lorelai giggled. "If I'm not back in five minutes, assume they've taken me hostage," she said. "I left some dirty pictures in your nightstand so you won't forget me."

"Never," he laughed, watching as she walked out of the room.

He turned to poke at the fire that was burning in the fireplace, tossing another log onto it before he settled onto the couch. Part of him couldn't believe that this was really happening, that after eleven years of friendship, three years of fighting to survive as a couple, and six months of building a real, honest life together with their daughters, Luke Danes was finally going to marry Lorelai Gilmore.

He looked down at his left hand, wondering if it would feel strange to wear a wedding ring. He'd tried it on only once, to make sure it fit, and it had felt somewhat odd for the thirty seconds it had been on. If he was honest with himself, he knew that he probably wouldn't have even bothered to wear a ring if they'd stuck to their original plan of June 3. But now, after being without Lorelai and fighting like hell to get their relationship back, he wanted to advertise their marriage. Much like Lorelai had admitted her reason for taking his name, he wanted to show the world that he was her husband, that there wasn't anything that could come between them again.

"Okay, I think we're still safe," she announced as she walked into the room, clutching a flat white box in her hands. "But I did catch a news bulletin and I think the NYPD is after us."

"Our kids are insane," he sighed.

"But so pretty," Lorelai sighed as she sat down beside him setting the box in her lap. "Rock paper scissors?"

"What?" he asked.

She held her fist out on the opposite palm. "To see who goes first," she explained.

"No need," he said, handing her a flat manila envelope. "You can go first."

Lorelai offered him a smile. "I think I want to marry you," she informed him. She turned her attention to the envelope and unclasped the fastener, reaching inside to slide a single piece of paper out. She looked at it for a moment before she turned to him. "Your boat registration?" she asked with a frown.

Luke scooted closer and pointed to the paper. "Look at the name."

She turned her attention back to the paper and smiled fondly. "Independence," she said softly.

Luke rested his chin on her shoulder, looking down at the paper. "I wanted to…honor you somehow with the boat's name," he explained quietly. "But naming it after you seemed too cheesy, so I started brainstorming and I thought about the Independence Inn. I know how much it meant to you. You pride yourself on your own independence, and I've always admired that about you. Just because we're getting married, but I don't want you to lose that sense of what you can accomplish on your own."

She smiled as she ran her hand over the words. "It's perfect," she murmured. "Thank you."

He straightened and pointed to the bottom of the paper. "I also added your name to the title," he said. "You're half owner now."

Tears filled her eyes at the words printed at the bottom of the paper. _Owners: Lucas Danes, Lorelai Gilmore-Danes._

It was the first time she'd seen her new name printed on any kind of official document. Other than when she'd filled it out on the name change forms and marriage license or doodled it for her own enjoyment, Lorelai hadn't seen her married name written out, especially on anything so formal.

"I can't believe this is finally happening," she whispered.

"Me neither," he sighed.

She slid the registration back into its envelope and placed it on the coffee table. "Your turn," she said, turning to face him as she handed the box to him.

He was surprised by the weight of the box when he took it, and he lifted the lid to see a large black book sitting inside. He flipped open the cover and saw a long letter written in Lorelai's familiar handwriting.

"Read it later," she requested softly. "I cried when I wrote it. I want to watch you look at the rest of it."

He glanced at her for a moment before he nodded, flipping to the next page. He saw a wedding picture of his parents, beaming happily outside the Stars Hollow church. The opposite page was filled with his baby pictures, and continued to include photos of him as a toddler with an infant Liz. He silently turned page after page, watching his story come alive across the pages. There was his first day of kindergarten, cooking lessons with his mother, and sports practices with his father. A newspaper clipping of his track record was carefully placed beside his high school graduation portrait, and pictures of him holding Jess as a baby surrounded a receipt from William's Hardware.

He gasped out loud when he turned the page to see a picture of a teenage Lorelai cradling Rory in her arms, a bus ticket from Hartford to Stars Hollow from 1985 pressed behind a protective plastic seal. He traced a finger over a flier advertising the diner coming soon to the corner of Stars Hollow's town square, and his breath caught in his throat when he flipped open an original menu. He couldn't believe she'd tracked some of these items down.

"Oh, Lorelai…" he breathed when he turned to the page that marked April's childhood. He'd missed those years, but on the pages he saw her newborn hospital portrait, her first steps, and her first haircut, complete with a lock of baby hair secured in a small plastic bag. His daughter beamed up at him on her first day of preschool, and eventually, each of his worlds began to merge.

He could see ten year old Rory clutching his hands as he dragged her around the frozen pond, and he let out a small laugh when he saw a diner napkin with a doodle that read "no turkey burgers." He remembered the day Lorelai had drawn it and left it in lieu of a tip after he'd hung the no cell phone sign in the diner.

April's first science fair ribbon was placed beside Rory's first published article, a review of Luke's Diner written for Stars Hollow High's newspaper, published before her transfer to Chilton. A lifetime of memories were secured on these pages, and he took the time to relive each one.

At a drawing of a Santa Burger, Luke recalled how he'd closed the diner to drive Lorelai to her father's side after his first heart attack.

A photo of the two of them at a Firelight Festival allowed Luke to appreciate the way her eyes always sparkled more in firelight, and he took a moment admire the fact that they were doing so right now while she watched him.

Seeing a photo of the golden chuppah he'd carved for her gave Luke conflicting emotions. He'd spent hours pouring his soul into that project for her and a man he'd known was wrong for her, telling himself that if she was happy, it would be worth his disappointment. Now that very chuppah stood yards away from him, on the other side of the fireplace, and in only hours he would be the one to stand beneath it and marry her.

When he saw a newspaper clipping of the basket raffle that featured a picture of the two of them picnicking in the gazebo he shook his head, remembering how she'd begged him to bid on her basket. It had been worth every ridiculous cent he'd spent on Pop Tarts and Slim Jims to eat lunch with her in the gazebo that day.

She'd included a program from the Poe Society reading of the Raven, and the receipt he'd left as a joke for her cashing out the five hours of housework he'd given her for her birthday. A photo of the two of them flanking Rory at her high school graduation made his throat tighten with emotion, and he traced his finger over the image. To anyone who didn't know them, they could have been a perfectly normal family.

He rolled his eyes good naturedly when he saw a receipt from the mattress company who'd finally come to pick up Rory's Yale provided mattress (after he'd stored it for a month), but smiled fondly when he saw a sketch of the two of them breaking the bells in the church. _I cared because I missed you,_ she'd captioned the cartoon.

Soon, the pages became more personal. A copy of the letter acknowledging his investment in the inn was signed by Lorelai with a heartfelt PS: _I couldn't have done it without you._

When he reached a page devoted exclusively to Liz's wedding, he allowed his fingers to trace the pink ribbon she'd worn in her hair that night as he admired the pictures of the two of them from various parts of the evening she'd managed to collect.

Next came a printout of his reservation for the test run of the Dragonfly, followed by several pages that now documented the letters they'd exchanged that summer when he'd been away. He saw a receipt from their first dinner at Sniffy's, and then turned several pages of pictures of the two of them, taken when they'd first begun dating. He'd protested her insistence at having their picture taking at the time, but he was now infinitely grateful to be able to revisit such a happy time in their relationship.

He was again conflicted when he saw a candid picture of the two of them, dancing at her parents' vow renewal. She'd looked so beautiful that night, and even though it had ended horribly, he had to admit that it had felt good to hold her close on the dance floor. He still remembered admiring her as she'd walked down the aisle during the ceremony, her gaze focused solely on him. It was the moment that he'd first known she was ready to take the next step with him.

On the following page was an advertisement for the Stars Hollow History Museum, followed by a picture of the two of them captured at the party he'd escorted her to in New York City. He then turned the page to see a picture of the two of them toasting their engagement in the gazebo, and then a series of pictures from the summer that followed. Paul Anka had his own page documented, and he shook his head when he saw a picture of the dog sprawled out beside him on the couch, both man and beast sound asleep. He wondered when Lorelai had managed to sneak taking that picture.

As that year progressed, Luke saw the focus begin to change. Lorelai was less present on the pages, but April was featured multiple times on every page. A copy of her science fair report proving that he was her father was offset by a rare picture of the three of them at April's birthday party. Eventually, he saw field trips and swim practices, but Lorelai disappeared from the pictures and momentos altogether. Fighting the urge to wonder what these pages would have looked like had he not been a complete idiot, Luke smiled again when he saw the presence of the only woman he'd ever loved slowly start to reappear on the pages.

He saw a sketch of their drive from the car dealership, each of them sipping a milkshake and the caption, _I knew you were hungry._ Luke traced a finger over an image of Lorelai's karaoke performance, followed by a program from Yale's 2007 graduation, and he turned the page to see Rory, surrounded by the town, at the going away party he'd planned meticulously.

Only good memories were present on the following pages, as he and Lorelai had started to rebuild what they'd broken. He'd been more willing to let her take pictures during that summer, and he could see everything from their day trips to his basketball lessons with Rory. He relived their evening spent mini golfing with April, saw carefully preserved movie tickets and dinner receipts, and laughed out loud at the printout from Kirk's blog announcing their engagement. The pages began to thin, but he did see the first picture of their family of four, taken by Liz in the town square only a few weeks ago at Thanksgiving and a photo of the two of them on the porch of their new house. The last page featured a copy of her name change declaration form and their application for a marriage license. A green post it marked the following page, "Wedding day," with an arrow indicating he should continue to the next page.

Another post it marked the next page, "Our future," and the page beside it was labeled, "Reserved for Victoria Danes, birthdate to be determined."

Luke slowly closed the book and turned to look at her, taking in the love and emotion in her eyes. She'd relived each moment with him, and he leaned over to cup her cheek, kissing her deeply. "I love it," he said, his voice choking with emotion. "It's perfect."

"I'm glad," she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I've been working on it for weeks."

"Where did you find all this?" he asked, fighting the desire to open the scrapbook again.

"Everyone," Lorelai said. "I can be very persuasive, you know."

He shook his head slightly. "Still, even for you, this goes beyond amazing," he said softly.

Lorelai smiled affectionately at him. "You're a pretty popular guy, Luke, despite your efforts to prove the contrary," she said. "All I had to do was ask around, uncover some archives from the Stars Hollow Historical Society, and raid my and Rory's memory boxes."

"But my parents," he murmured. "April…"

She nodded slowly. "Liz was easy to convince," she said. "But…well, I did have an especially large glass of wine after my conversation with Anna. I never exactly wanted to ask her for anything, but I had to swallow my pride for this. April had to be included. She's part of who you are."

"She is," he nodded. "God, Lorelai, you've really outdone yourself with this."

"I know you don't like getting sentimental, but I just thought it would be nice to have this story told," she said softly. "You, me and Rory, April…all these lives were led separately, but here they're connected."

"They are, it's incredible," he shook his head. "I want to look at it all over again."

She ran her hand over the smooth leather cover of the book. "I hope I wasn't presumptive with the ending," she said. "But I just thought our story's not over, and I've already named one daughter after myself, so why not do the same with the next one? Especially with your family's connection to the name. But that's why her name's on a Post It, in case you didn't like it. Or, you know, if she ends up not being a she."

"Her name is perfect," he confirmed, leaning forward to kiss her again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said. "It was kind of selfish, though, because I really enjoyed making it."

"When did you find the time?" he marveled. They'd both scaled back their time at their respective business as they'd prepared for a wedding and a move.

"That desk you gave April didn't exactly build itself," Lorelai said. "Every time you went out to the garage I knew I had at least a good hour to work. Rory and April helped me pick out pictures when they were here for Thanksgiving, and April went through her baby box with her mom when she went home. She mailed everything to the inn so you won't be suspicious."

"I had no idea," he said with a disbelieving smile. "It's enough to make me want to marry you."

"Good, because otherwise that party we're throwing tomorrow night would be a huge waste of money," Lorelai said. "You really like it?"

"I love it," he said sincerely. "Really, Lorelai, it's the best gift I've ever gotten."

"Good," she said, settling into his embrace. "We don't have much time before the Montagues and Capulets intervene to keep us apart for the night."

He laughed and rubbed her back. "I'll listen for you calling out from your balcony," he said.

Before Lorelai could reply, there was a scuffle outside the library door and Jess all but fell into the room. He righted himself, then turned to the couple on the couch with a scowl. "Your daughters forced me in here to tell you to wrap it up," he reported.

"They'll have to come in here and tell us themselves," Lorelai argued, not moving from Luke's embrace.

"That's what I said, but there was something about traumatizing sights on Christmas," he shrugged. "I don't think I want to know."

"Half an hour more?" Luke requested, his hand stroking Lorelai's hair.

"Ten minutes!" April's voice shouted from the other side of the door.

"Twenty," Lorelai countered with a frown.

"Fifteen."

"Sold," Lorelai said, looking pointedly at Jess.

"Right, sorry," he said, moving towards the door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Uncle Luke."

"The door's staying open, so no funny business!" Rory called into the room.

Lorelai frowned as she turned to Luke. "Our next kid better not be as mean as the first two," she said.

He shook his head and pulled her into a kiss. "Want to get married tomorrow?" he asked when they both pulled away.

She sighed as she slid onto his lap. "Well, I'll have to check my schedule," she said thoughtfully.

"There will be coffee."

"Oh, well, if there's coffee, I'll ditch my plans and show up," she said, leaning down to kiss him again. "I love you."

"I love you too," he leaned up to meet her lips again.

"Next time you kiss me, I'll be your wife."

He sighed happily and pressed a kiss to her collarbone. "God, that sounds perfect," he said.

"Yep, by this time tomorrow night we'll be just a regular old married couple," Lorelai murmured. His gaze turned serious, and she frowned in response. "What's wrong?"

"Call me," he said. "If you have the dream again. Call me, even if it's the middle of the night. I don't like the thought of you being alone when you wake up so scared."

"I don't want to think about it right now," she said. "I'm so happy in this moment, I don't want to…deal with that now."

He squeezed her tightly. "Just promise me you'll call," he said.

She leaned down to kiss him. "I'll call," she said. She kissed him again, then whispered against his lips, "Hey, Luke?"

"Hmmm?" he asked against her lips.

"We could revisit that whole phone thing," she whispered. "Since our daughters are evil schemers, we can at least have one last late night phone date before we're never apart for another night?"

He smiled and rubbed her thigh gently. "Sounds perfect," he said.

"Okay, time's up," Rory's voice called and she eased into the room with a hand clamped over her eyes. "Is everything covered that should be covered?"

"If I said no would you go away?" Lorelai asked.

"Come on, it's almost midnight, you can't see each other anymore," Rory insisted, peeking through her fingers. Satisfied that she wasn't going to see anything inappropriate, she lowered her hand and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm giving you another ten seconds before I get Grandma in here."

Lorelai scoffed. "You're bluffing," she said.

"Nine, eight, seven…"

Luke laughed and kissed Lorelai's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, beautiful girl," he murmured into her ear.

"Rory, cover your eyes," Lorelai requested.

"Why?"

Lorelai traced a finger over Luke's cheek. "Because I'm going to kiss my fiancé for the last time."

XXXXX

"Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, what do you think you're doing, young lady?"

Lorelai froze, one leg already firmly planted on the Dragonfly's rooftop, the other lifted halfway through the window. "Uh, checking the rain gutters?" she suggested.

Rory sat up in the bed Lorelai had just vacated. "You're trying to sneak out," she accused, pointing a finger at her. "You think you're going to see Luke!"

With a dramatic sigh, Lorelai slid back through the window and crossed her arms over her chest. "You can't tell me what to do," she said.

"Yes I can," Rory said. "And if you think you're sneaky, you're totally wrong. It was like you were trying to wake me up."

Lorelai gasped in offense. "Excuse me, I am plenty sneaky," she said. "You owe your very existence to my sneakiness!"

Rory grumbled something, and Lorelai narrowed her eyes as she picked up the phrase, "lot younger."

She snatched her phone off of the bedside table and flipped it open, pressing a speed dial button before holding it up to her ear.

"Who are you calling?" Rory asked.

"Someone I like more than you," Lorelai replied.

"He's not going to answer," Rory informed her mother. "April stole his phone and disconnected the landline when Jess caught him trying to sneak out the side door. I swear, it's like we're the parents and you're the teenagers."

"Rory," Lorelai whined, collapsing onto the bed. "I don't like sleeping without him."

"Ew, gross."

An idea came to Lorelai, her eyes lighting up as she straightened and tapped Rory on the shoulder. "Hey, I bet if I gross you out enough you'll let me see Luke," she said.

Rory groaned and pulled her pillow over her head.

"Okay, so Luke does this thing with his tongue…"

"Oh my god, stop!" Rory shouted. "Gross, Mom, now I'm seriously going to need that lobotomy."

"Let me see him or I'll keep talking."

"It's the middle of the night."

"So? Call your co conspirators and tell them to let him go."

Rory threw her pillow at her mother. "Thank god Luke's taking you, twenty three years is way too long of a shift," she said.

Lorelai threw the pillow back. "I want to get married," she said.

"Then I suggest letting me sleep so I don't kill you."

"Rory, come on," Lorelai said. "If you're not going to let me see Luke, at least let me try my dress on!"

"Do whatever you want, just let me sleep."

"Whatever I want?" Lorelai asked. "Really?"

"Besides sneak out," Rory sighed. "You couldn't go anywhere anyway. Grandma put a tire lock on your car."

Lorelai frowned. "Does no one trust me around here?" she asked.

"You were just hanging halfway out the window, you tell me," Rory grumbled.

Lorelai opened her mouth to speak, but instead dove over Rory for her cell phone when it began to ring. "Luke?"

"Ugh, you're just as annoying as he is," April's irritated voice said. "I have a message."

"Message?" Lorelai repeated.

There was a pause, and then a scuffle on the other end before April cried, "Dad, _stop!"_

Lorelai giggled as she heard a door slam. "You know, if you'd just let him leave, none of you would be annoyed anymore," she informed her stepdaughter.

"Dad wants to know if you're sleeping okay," April said, her tone turning serious.

A small smile stretched across Lorelai's face at Luke's concern. "Well, I was until your sister decided to kick me," she said.

"I only kicked you because you stole my pillow," Rory replied sleepily.

Lorelai laughed and returned her attention to her phone. "Tell him I'm fine," she said to April. "But you know, you guys could successfully run a halfway house or something. I've tried every way to get out of this inn that I can."

"Go to sleep, stepmother," April said.

Lorelai frowned. "Never call me that again," she said. "Or I'll lock you in a tall tower and feed you poisoned apples while making you spin gold on a poisoned spinning wheel."

"I'm hanging up now," April stated. "If you call again, I'm going to disassemble Dad's phone and use the hardware for my spring robotics midterm."

"You totally would," Lorelai said, wrinkling her nose. Her tone turned serious and she said, "I'll stop. Night, April."

"Night, Lorelai."

Lorelai closed her phone and sighed, knowing that she really did have to get some sleep. Smirking to herself, she knew she wouldn't be getting much the following night.

"Mommy?"

Lorelai slipped into mother mode as she settled onto the bed beside Rory. In the dark, hearing Rory's childlike tone, they could have easily been back in the potting shed behind the Independence Inn, sharing a bed and planning adventures.

"Yeah?" Lorelai asked, feeling Rory shift closer.

"I'm happy you're happy."

Lorelai pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Thanks, hon," she whispered.

"You're going to be a wife."

A happy smile came across Lorelai's face. "Yeah," she agreed.

"You'll still be my mom, right?"

Flashing back to the comfort Luke offered her during her middle of the night meltdowns, when she was the most vulnerable, Lorelai nodded as she stroked Rory's arm. "Oh, yeah," she said gently. "First and always."

"Good," Rory snuggled into her embrace. "Thanks for getting me a stepdad."

"Sorry it's so late," Lorelai sighed.

"Better late than never," Rory sighed.

Lorelai smiled up into the darkness of the room. "I guess so."

XXXXX

"I can't believe how beautiful you two are," Lorelai said the following afternoon, stepping back from the mirror to look at Rory and April.

"Mom, we're supposed to be saying that to you," Rory said.

Lorelai waved a hand. "I know I look good," she said. "But you two…April, you look so grown up without your glasses."

The teenager beamed. "Can I wear a little more mascara?" she asked hopefully.

"Sorry, but if I let you put any more make up on, I'll be in a reverse runaway bride situation," Lorelai said. "You don't need it, sweetie."

Rory reached out to run her fingers over the lace covering her mother's arm. "You're a real bride," she said.

"I know," Lorelai giggled as she turned to look at herself in the mirror, smoothing her hands over her dress. "I want to wear this every day."

April looked at the dress closely. "It's really my grandmother's dress?" she asked.

"It is," Lorelai said. "I added a layer of lace over the satin. But one day if you want to wear it, I'll alter it again so it's exactly what you want."

"I think it's perfect," April breathed.

There was a knock on the door, and Emily walked into the room. "We're ready to start whenever you are," she stated. "I suggest sooner rather than later so your guests don't freeze to death. An outside wedding at Christmas, honestly, Lorelai."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Hey, you wanted a Russian theme, it's cold in Russia," she said.

Emily gave an eye roll, but her gaze softened as she seemed to take Lorelai's appearance in. "You look lovely, Lorelai," she said sincerely.

"Thank you, Mom," Lorelai said softly.

Emily cleared her throat. "April, Rory, could I have a moment alone with my daughter, please?" she requested.

"Sure, Grandma," Rory said, grabbing April's arm. The two of them scurried out of the room, and Emily turned to Lorelai.

"I want you to know that I truly am happy for you," she said. "Luke is a good man, and he loves you."

"He is," Lorelai agreed. "He does."

Emily looked at her carefully for a moment before she said, "I've always wanted what's best for you. And seeing the life you've built for yourself, here, first with Rory and now with Luke, I understand why you've fought so hard to keep it."

"It's been worth every second," Lorelai admitted.

"I'm proud of you, Lorelai."

"Thanks, Mom," Lorelai said. She bit at her lip, determined not to cry for fear of ruining her make up. "I should get down there before I'm declared popsicle and wife."

Rory was waiting at the bottom of the steps with Lorelai's bouquet as they descended the stairs. Emily offered Lorelai a small smile before she disappeared out the door to join the rest of the guests. "Where's April?" Lorelai asked Rory, taking the flowers.

"Last minute run to make sure Luke's still here," Rory replied.

Lorelai nodded and reached for Rory's hand. "Thanks for being my maid of honor," she said.

"You'll return the favor one day," Rory said confidently.

"You're always going to be my number one, you know that, right?" Lorelai asked.

Rory smiled softly. "I'm okay with being tied," she said honestly.

"Nope, you take the number one spot," Lorelai promised. "At least in the daughter column. There is also the stepdaughter and husband column."

"Let's go fill those," Rory said. She kissed Lorelai's cheek and then led her through the kitchen to the back door.

"Dad says you're supposed to stand still," April reported from the door.

Lorelai laughed. "He would," she sighed. "Okay, let's get this show on the road so I can start drinking with my husband. Group hug!"

She wrapped her arms around both Rory and April, who stepped into her embrace. "I wonder if this is what football players feel like," Rory mused.

"And…break!" Lorelai instructed. She gave April a gentle nudge forward, and looped her arm through Rory's as she watched her stepdaughter begin her short walk towards the garden. Lorelai couldn't see Luke from where she stood, but she was strangely okay with waiting her turn to walk towards him.

"You're sure you don't want a coat?" Rory murmured. "It's cold."

"I'm not cold," Lorelai said through her smile. "Your turn."

Rory nodded and squeezed Lorelai's hand before she began her own trek towards the group of townies that had braved the cold to witness what Patty and Babette had dubbed the wedding of the century.

Once Rory had disappeared from her view, Lorelai took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, taking her own steps towards her future. As she turned towards the separation of chairs that formed an aisle, Luke came into view and everyone around her disappeared. His eyes widened at the sight of her, and she could feel her heart warming as she took in his clean shaven appearance. With each step she took, another memory came to her, and she found it hard not to run into his arms.

 _You made me a Santa Burger…you're an angel…we should buy a house…marriage isn't so bad, if you find the right person…we were married, in your dream?...eat the carrots this time…he cheered my daughter on at her high school graduation...you just keep thinking like you would think…there she is, the woman of the hour!_

When she finally reached the end of the aisle, she beamed at Luke. "Nice chuppah," she commented.

He smiled and stepped towards her. "You look beautiful."

Lorelai turned to hand her bouquet to Rory, who was already trying not to cry. Lorelai offered her a happy smile before she turned back to Luke and held out her hands. "I'm standing still," she informed him.

He offered her a rare grin as he pressed his hands against hers, lacing their fingers together. "And I'm all in."

XXXXX

Two hours later, Lorelai was nestled in her husband's arms as they swayed through to the soft crooning of Frank Sinatra. After the short ceremony, they'd taken pictures with their family before partaking in the buffet dinner that had been set up in a heated tent in the open pasture where Lorelai often rode horses. As promised, Lorelai had only made a _little_ bit of a mess when she and Luke had cut the cake, and now that it was time for the dancing to begin, Luke had surprised her by not leaving the dance floor once. After their first dance, he'd let her go to dance a song with April, then one with Rory, after which he'd pulled Lorelai back into his arms.

"You're a very good dancer, husband," she murmured.

He smiled down at her. "I made you a promise to dance, wife," he replied.

"Yeah, but I didn't realize the promise to dance with me was a 'not going to leave the dance floor' type of situation," Lorelai said. "I'm going to have to get Zach to play the Electric Slide."

"That's not happening," he informed her.

"The Charleston?"

"No."

"Oh, the bunny hop!"

He sighed as he looked down at her. "It didn't work," he said with a shake of his head.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What?" she asked.

"I thought finally getting you down the aisle would shut you up."

She laughed as she remembered his comment from years ago, when they'd just been friends. "Hey, technically you were the first one to propose," she said.

"And _you_ never answered."

"Isn't the white dress and the ring enough for you?" she asked.

"I suppose," he said, then dipped his head closer to hers. "Although we do have to consummate the marriage."

She smiled and ran her hand over his shoulder. "If memory serves, you prefer I _don't_ shut up for that," she commented.

Luke pressed a kiss to her cheek and held her tightly, the two of them more swaying than dancing as they basked in their first moments of marital bliss.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

"I'm so glad we're here."

"Me too."

They held each other for a few more moments before the song changed to a more up tempo number and she sighed as he pulled back from her. "Dancing over?" she asked.

He pointed to the table where Rory and April were watching them closely. "Dance with them to this crap," he said.

Lorelai sighed and looked at him dreamily. "It's romantic comments like that that made me fall for you," she said. She watched as he retreated to the bar, then turned to the girls. "My husband refuses to dance with me," she reported.

Rory laughed as she pulled Lorelai onto the dance floor. "We don't need him," she said. "Let's show April how it's done."

From a table on the sidelines later that night, Jess dropped into a chair beside Luke. "Well, I've always told you it would happen," he said.

Luke glanced at his nephew and rolled his eyes, remembering the first words Jess had ever uttered to Lorelai. "Fortunately you have more tact now," he said.

Jess watched as Lorelai twirled Rory around the dance floor, both of them laughing loudly. "You're a damn idiot, you know that, right?" he asked. "For making her wait so long."

"Yeah, I accepted that a long time ago," Luke confirmed, sipping his beer. He glanced at Jess before he asked, "You okay? With being here?"

"We're good," Jess nodded, knowing exactly to what his uncle was alluding. "I've always wanted someone who could actually keep up with me intellectually in the family."

"Glad I could provide that," Luke nodded. "Twice over."

Jess nodded, turning to where April was engaged deep in conversation with her new step grandfather. "She charmed the Gilmores," he said.

"Not an easy task," Luke acknowledged.

"Neither of us could do it that quickly," Jess replied. They sat in silence for a moment before Jess turned to look at Luke carefully. "Don't mess it up again," he said simply.

Luke shook his head, a smile forming on his lips as he saw Lorelai and Rory approaching. "I won't," he promised before he stood and met his wife at the edge of the dance floor.

"Hey, cuz," Jess said as Rory collapsed in the chair Luke had just vacated.

"Dodger," she nodded towards him.

"Great party," Jess commented.

Rory watched as her mother wrapped her arms around Luke's neck and laughed at something he was saying. "A little late, but still good," she agreed.

Jess looked at her carefully. "You should have called me," he said. "I would have kicked his ass."

"Yeah, I guess I should have," Rory said. "I could have done more too."

Jess pointed towards April and Richard. "Looks like you've got some competition," he commented.

Rory smiled, but shook her head. "April and I are good," she said. "It's nice, to have someone to talk to. She gets me."

"Well, good, because the four of you have had more drama than the entire run of Dawson's Creek," Jess commented.

Rory smirked. "Dawson's Creek?" she repeated. "Really? You can do better than that."

He shrugged. "I'm out of practice," he defended.

Rory nodded. "Sure, Dodger," she said with a knowing smile.

XXXXX

Lorelai smiled as she watched Luke unlock the door to the honeymoon bungalow on the corner of the Dragonfly's property. "Thank you, husband," she said as he stepped aside to allow her to enter the room.

He smiled as he stepped into the room after her. "You're welcome, wife," he said with a smirk.

"I know you don't like champagne," Lorelai said with a sly smile as she moved to the small cabinet that housed a mini fridge. "So I got something I know you'll drink instead."

Luke let himself laugh out loud as she hand a bottle of Zima out to him, an innocent expression on her face. "You're something else," he informed her.

She grinned as she clinked her bottle against his. "You mean some _one_ else," she corrected. She turned to her side and said to an imaginary person beside her, "Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Snuffernutter, I'm Lorelai Gilmore-Danes, have you met my husband Luke?" She turned back to Luke with a proud smile. "I've been practicing."

He smirked as he nodded towards the imaginary guests. "Get them out of here," he requested.

Lorelai gasped and followed his gaze. "I'm so sorry, but my husband wants to do dirty, dirty things to me now," she commented. "No, you cannot watch!"

"Okay, you're done," Luke said, pulling her closer.

She leaned up to kiss him deeply, her free hand running over his chest. "You looked so handsome today," she told him softly.

He trailed a finger over the edge of her dress. "And you looked stunning," he replied.

"Then we make a good pair," she whispered.

He turned to place his beer on the night table before he reached for hers and did the same. "That we do," he breathed.

"So what should we do now?" Lorelai asked. "Order a pizza?"

"No."

She pretended to check a watch. "We could catch the end of Late Night."

"No."

"Dial a random phone number and ask if their refrigerator is running?"

"No."

She smiled as he pushed her back so the backs of her knees rested at the end of the bed. "Well, then, what do you suggest we do?" she asked.

He reached for her hands and leaned down to kiss her deeply. "First, we're going to get you out of this dress."

Lorelai pulled her hair over her shoulder and turned her back to him. "Go for it," she requested.

Luke slowly slid the zipper down and helped her gently pull her arms out of the fragile lace sleeves. He carefully pushed the dress over her hips and watched as she stepped out of it. Clad only in her white wedding heels and sky blue underwear with a bra to match, Lorelai carefully turned away from him to hang the dress in the closet. After she'd kicked off her heels and turned back to face him, Luke felt emotion begin to swell at the sight of her before him.

She smiled softly as she reached for him, making quick work of the buttons on his dress shirt. As she pushed the shirt over his shoulders, he reached for her waist, kissing her deeply. "You're so beautiful," he murmured.

Lorelai's eyes were filled with joy when she looked up at him. "I love you, husband."

"I love you too, wife."

She beamed as she tugged his t-shirt out from his pants and quickly tossed it onto the floor. She ran her hands over his chest and stomach, letting her fingers comb through his soft hair. "You're perfect," she told him.

"Back at you."

"Luke?" she asked, raising her gaze to his.

"Hmmm?" he asked, brushing a hand over her cheek.

"Make love to me."

Luke responded by kissing her deeply, turning to ease her onto the bed. His eyes moved over her hungrily, taking in the sight as she made herself comfortable against the pillows. "God, my wife is beautiful."

"Luke…"

"So beautiful," he said softly, lowering himself on top of her to kiss her deeply. He pulled her forward gently, expertly unsnapping her bra before he tossed it onto the floor. Lorelai moaned when she felt his hand run over her breasts and fell back to the bed. "Lorelai," he sighed against her lips, pressing himself against her as he felt her shudder beneath him. He gently ran his tongue over her lips, seeking entrance, and his hand cupped her breast lightly.

"God, Luke…"

"Yes," he sighed, his thumb teasing her as he continued to kiss her tenderly

Her body was already heating as he kissed her. It still amazed her how quickly Luke could please her, just from his kisses. She'd never felt so wanted before. "Luke…"

"Lorelai…" he murmured her name as his mouth moved away from hers, down her jaw and neck.

"Oh...oh, yes!" she gasped, feeling herself grow more aroused with every kiss he planted against her skin.

"Yes," he breathed, his hips rocking against hers as he gently sucked at her neck.

"Please," she gasped, her hands trying to reach for his belt.

"We have all night," he reminded her.

"Please, Luke," she gasped as he rocked against her again, and she could feel him straining against his dress pants.

"I want you."

"Take me."

"Not yet," he breathed, lacing his fingers through hers.

"But…I…oh my god…oh…" she moaned as her eyes fell closed. Luke was sucking gently at the skin of her neck, and she knew he was going to leave a mark. In the moment she didn't care, her body already tight and ready for him. He was still half dressed, but she was already so close to falling over the edge. As he continued to nip gently at her skin, Lorelai arched her back, his pants rubbing her already over sensitized skin, causing an unbelievable sensation of friction that made her throw her head back with a sigh.

"Lorelai," he moaned, abandoning her neck as he moved his lips down over her collar bone.

"Oh god…Luke…" she whispered, her hands threading through his hair as he kissed his way down her stomach. "Luke….yes!"

"Perfect," he whispered, pressing one last kiss to the spot below her belly button before he hooked his fingers through her panties. She tried to lift her head, to watch him as he pulled the soft fabric over her legs, but when he let his lips follow his fingers down her right leg, all she could do was squeeze her eyes closed and moan in the way only he could make her. She couldn't believe that after all this time he could still bring about these feelings in her, and she briefly wondered if this would ever change, if they'd ever stop wanting each other like this.

She gasped out loud when she felt him trace a finger over her folds, and his mouth suddenly appeared on her neck again. "Luke…I'm…oh my god," she gasped, her hand moving to the back of his head, holding him in place.

"Let go," he breathed against her skin.

"Yes…yes!"

He brought his hand up to run over her stomach, the other grasping hers tightly above her head as she stretched beneath him.

"Oh my god."

"It's okay, let go," he encouraged her.

"Luke!" she cried, feeling her body become undone. "Luke!"

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, pulling back from her and slipping off the bed.

She propped herself up on her elbows, still panting heavily. "Come back," she pleaded.

"Just stand still," he smirked, reaching for his belt.

Lorelai's eyes remained focused on his task as she shook her head, trying to come down. She was still shaking, her body now covered in a fine layer of sweat, and as she watched Luke shed the remainder of his clothing she felt an intense wave of anticipation sweep over her. "Come here," she beckoned, rising to her knees as she held her arms out to him.

He wasted no time in stepping closer to her, wrapping his arms around her as she kissed him deeply. They remained in that position for several minutes before Lorelai gently pulled on his shoulders, tugging him onto the bed on top of her as she stroked his face gently. His hands ran over her thighs, and she gasped when she felt his hardness brush against her. "I need you, Lorelai," he murmured, pressing a series of kisses to her jawline.

"Yes," she whimpered in response. "Now…please, Luke."

He shifted slightly, his gaze holding hers intensely. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Luke sighed deeply as he pushed himself into her, her body immediately responding to him.

"Oh my god…oh!" she gasped, her head arching back as he grasped her hips, angling her so he could go deeper into her.

"Lorelai," he gasped. "Oh, yes…"

"Yes," she gasped, her hips rocking against his as he began to gently stroke in and out of her. "Oh, Luke…"

"Lorelai," he groaned, his fingers squeezing hers tightly as their hands found each other. He continued to move above her, savoring everything about her in this perfect moment.

"Don't stop," she begged, raising her head to rest against his shoulder. "Don't stop, Luke."

"Never," he promised, his hips continuing to rock against hers.

Lorelai let out a soft cry of pleasure as he dropped her hands, bracing his arms against the mattress on either side of her head. She dropped back onto the pillows, her hands gripping the sheets as pleasure surged through every part of her body. "Yes," she cried, her body rocking against his thrust for thrust.

"You're so amazing," he breathed, his pace increasing ever so slightly. "Incredible."

"So good," she gasped, throwing her head back as she felt the world disappear around her.

"God, Lorelai," his voice was rough with emotion and he reached between then, stroking her gently as he continued to move inside of her.

"Luke!" she let out a scream as her body tightened beneath him, holding him deep inside of her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He buried his face in her neck as he stilled his movements and she felt him begin to release into her. "Lorelai…"

"Oh," she gasped, starting to come down from her high.

"Lorelai…" he breathed, collapsing onto her and panting into her shoulder.

"Oh my god," she gasped, running a hand over his hair as she felt him press a soft kiss to her neck.

They were silent for a long moment, basking in the afterglow of the perfect moment before Luke finally shifted off of her. She pressed a kiss to his lips before she slid out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned a few moments later, Luke had pulled the covers back and was sliding back onto the bed. Lorelai sighed happily as she settled in beside him, running her fingers over his cheek as she kissed him softly. "I love you," she breathed.

"I love you too."

"Let's never leave this room again."

"Okay."

She smiled and rested her head against his shoulder as she stretched her legs against his. She curled onto her side and smiled when his hand automatically moved to her knee. It was a habit, one that had started years ago, when they'd first started dating, and she'd never tired of it. She reached out to trace the length of his forearm with a single finger, beaming when she saw an unfamiliar glistening from his hand.

"It looks good," she murmured, reaching for his left hand. She stroked her thumb over the cool metal, holding the hand closer to her face for examination.

"It does," he agreed, turning his own attention to the ring.

"Does it feel weird?" she asked, meeting his gaze as she continued to twist his ring gently.

"A little," he admitted. He watched her toy with his wedding ring, wondering if this would become a new habit for her. He'd always loved touching her engagement ring, and he certainly wasn't going to complain if she wanted to hold his hand more. "I like it, though."

Lorelai smiled and pulled his hand to her mouth, pressing a kiss to his knuckle, just below where his ring rested. "Me too," she breathed. "I don't want this day to end."

Worry flashed through his eyes, and he asked, "Are you…"

"No," she said. "It's not that, I don't want to talk about it now. I don't want this day to end because it's been so perfect, not because I'm afraid to sleep."

Knowing she didn't want to disturb the sanctity of the moment with the nightmares that had been plaguing her, Luke allowed her to dismiss the topic. Until tomorrow, at least. "I read what you wrote in the book last night," he murmured.

Lorelai tilted her head to look up at him. "Yeah?" she asked.

He nodded, rubbing his hand up and down her thigh. "It was perfect," he told her.

"I meant every word."

"I know." He cleared his throat, and said softly, "I…you know that I love you, right?"

She smiled as she leaned up to kiss him. "I had a feeling," she acknowledged.

"Good," he said. "I know, before, when things were far from perfect, and you told me once you liked to hear it. I just want to make sure you know."

"Luke," she sighed his name softly, the way only she could. "Things are so different now. You tell me every day."

"Yeah, I know," he said. "But what you wrote, was so heartfelt and it meant so much. I just hope that you know how much I love you."

"I do," she said, snuggling into him.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Good." They remained silent for a moment before he murmured, "Will you do something for me?"

"I already married you."

"For which I'm very grateful," he acknowledged. He sighed, then asked quietly, "Will you read it to me?"

She remained still for a moment, then sat up. "My letter?" she asked.

"Yeah, as I was reading it I could hear your voice so clearly, and..." he shrugged, suddenly the self conscious man who'd hid behind his counter for years. "I don't know, maybe it's stupid. You don't have to."

She interrupted him, leaning forward to kiss him deeply, her hands balancing herself on his shoulders. "I will," she said. "And it's not stupid."

His gaze was uncertain as he looked up to meet her gaze. "It's not?"

"No," she shook her head, letting her hand trail down her arm as she slid out of the bed. She reached for the white button down he'd worn during their wedding, slipping it on and buttoning it as she walked to his overnight bag that had been stashed by the door hastily before the ceremony. She smiled as she slid the scrapbook she'd made out of the bag, clutching it to her chest as she walked back to the bed. She settled back against the pillows, smiling as Luke wrapped an arm over her stomach, snuggling closer. She reached a hand out to trace his forearm, offering him an affectionate smile before she turned back to the letter she'd penned for him only three nights before.

 _Dear Luke,_

 _I hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane. I didn't know how to start this dedication, to tell you how much this has been a labor of love. These past few months, when we've really and truly sorted ourselves out and begun to build this wonderful life together have meant the world to me. For our wedding, I wanted to give you a gift that would celebrate not only our life together, but the people and places that formed you into you, the man that I could never imagine my life without._

 _I told you once that I had a dream, that we were married and I was having your babies. What I didn't share with you, or anyone, was that it wasn't just one dream. For that entire summer, I saw our entire life together play out in my sleep. Each night, the dream picked up where it had left off, like I'd put pause on a movie, and I found myself looking forward to going to sleep every night, eager to see what we would do in my dreams that night. It was like waiting for the next episode in a favorite TV show, but better because it involved you and me and a completely perfect life._

 _I cherished those dreams for a long time, but now I know that they were just that; dreams. As wonderful as they were, as beautiful as our children were, I realize now that the reality is so much better. Having you in my real life is so much better than escaping into a dream world at night. In this real life we've built together, we have two amazing, brilliant daughters, a house to fill with memories, and the promise of more to come. And in this reality, you're so much more than my husband. I'm so grateful that I can consider you my friend, my lover, and the one person I can turn to without fear of judgment._

 _Our road to this point in our life has certainly been unique. There was a time where I would have given everything to have that happy, trouble free dream life with you, but now I'm grateful for the journey we've had. Every moment, every fight, every kiss, every glance, has made me realize how lucky we are to have fought our way back to each other._

 _We have such life ahead of us, Luke. These pages tell your story, and I can't wait to add to them. It warms my heart to know that you'll be there not only to bake me birthday coffee cake, but also to cook me soup when I have a cold. And of course I know that you'll always feed my caffeine addiction, just like you have since the day we met. I know you'll be the one to hold my hand the day that Rory embarks on her own journey into marriage, and I promise I'll be there to do the same for you after you walk April down the aisle._

 _Thank you, Luke. I don't know if I've ever said that to you, but I owe you so much. For the extra large servings of breakfast and slices of pie when we first met and you knew I was a single mom with a new mortgage, for the countless home repairs you made over the years, for looking out for Rory and for talking me through so much heartache. Thank you for making me laugh and for showing me a level of happiness that I didn't even know existed in the world._

 _Mostly I want to thank you for loving me, for agreeing to share your life with me. It's been such a beautiful life, and I know that we have so much more to look forward to. I hope that I can make you as happy as you've made me._

 _I love you, Luke._

 _Lorelai_

She smiled softly as she tilted her head to the side, fighting the tears she'd shed as she'd written it.

"Now we know where Rory got her way with words," Luke murmured into her hair, his grip on her stomach tightening.

Lorelai shook her head self consciously. "This letter was easy to write," she said. "I knew it was for your eyes only, so I didn't have to worry about anything besides being honest."

Luke was quiet for a moment, shifting closer to her and tucking one of his legs between hers. "I kept it, you know," he admitted.

Lorelai ran her hand over his forearm, where it was resting on her stomach. "Kept what?" she asked.

"The letter you wrote, before," he replied. "For April and me."

She inhaled sharply, remembering the hours of agony she'd put into writing that letter. "It was the least I could have done," she replied.

"It was so much more than I could have hoped for. After what I put you through, the fact that you were willing to defend my rights as a father meant the world to me."

Lorelai shrugged as she closed the scrapbook and placed it on the night table. "You should never have had to defend yourself in the first place," she said. "Maybe you weren't the best fiancé at that point in time, but you were doing what you thought was best as a parent. No one, not even Anna, should have ever contested that."

He shifted to sit upright, looking carefully into her eyes. "Your letter," he told her. "It was so honest and so heartfelt. It's what got me custody."

"Stop," she shook her head. "It really wasn't a big deal."

"Yes it was," he said. "I know you, Lorelai, better than anyone. I know how hard it must have been for you to write that letter. It truly was the tipping point in the custody hearing. My lawyer told me that the mediator was leaning in Anna's favor until your letter was read. You're the reason I have any say in April's life at all."

Lorelai smiled softly. "It's all worked out," she said. "Maybe a bit later than we wanted it to, but here we are, we're married, our girls are happy, and we've got a house. We did it."

He leaned forward to kiss her tenderly. "We did it."

She smiled as she pressed him back against the pillows, swinging a leg over his and straddling his lap. Her eyes were taking on a playful glimmer, and she leaned back to sit on his thighs. "I don't believe I've introduced myself," she said, holding her hand out to him. "My name is Lorelai Gilmore Danes, wife of Luke Danes."

A smile stretched across his face at her words. He reached out to take her hand, shaking it softly before he lifted it to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. "Nice to meet you," he said with a smirk. "I'm Luke, husband of Lorelai Gilmore Danes."

Lorelai beamed as she leaned in to kiss him deeply. She pulled back and ran her finger over his collarbone. "I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but I think we got married today," she told him.

Luke picked up her left hand and held it up for her inspection. "Explains the addition to your hand," he said, and she smiled at the wedding band that had joined her engagement ring.

"And here I was, thinking the diamond had just gotten lonely," she said. "Hey, I hope your wedding ring isn't lonely without its counterpart."

"It's a ring."

Lorelai reached for his left hand and held it up to her own. "But they've spent so much time together, maybe they don't like being apart," she said.

Luke sighed and rubbed his palm slightly against hers, smiling as the rings clinked together gently. "What should we do about it?" he asked.

"I think we should make sure that our rings get some quality time together every day," Lorelai said wisely. "That way they won't rebel and run away together while we're asleep."

"Fine."

"Luke, it's our wedding night!" she said, pouting slightly. "You have to say more than 'fine.' Can't you try to be romantic here?"

He smirked as he hooked a finger between two of the buttons of his shirt that she was wearing. "I didn't hear you complaining earlier," he said. "In fact, I think the words, 'don't stop,' and 'amazing' were uttered more than once."

She giggled as she smacked his arm. "There was more than one 'oh god, Lorelai,' moaned from your lips," she replied, tracing her fingers over the lips she was describing.

"What can I say, I have a sexy wife," Luke shrugged nonchalantly.

"And I have a sexy husband," Lorelai said. "What do think, Cool Hand?"

"About what?"

"Married life," she said.

"Well, considering all we've done is thrown a party and had sex, I'd say it's pretty damn good so far," he replied.

"Good," she said.

"Do you agree?"

"Dear god, yes," she replied with a nod.

He smiled as he began unbuttoning the shirt she was wearing. "Good, I'd hate for you to already be miserable so soon after the wedding," he murmured.

"Nope, no misery here," she shook her head. "But I do think we could improve one thing about our marriage."

Eyebrows raised, Luke paused his motions and looked up at her expectantly.

Lorelai's face was serious as she leaned closer. "I don't think we're having enough sex," she said gravely.

Without a word, Luke grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her back, causing her to squeal in a combination of surprise and delight. She kicked the comforter down to their feet as he continued to unbutton the shirt, his lips following his fingers in a journey down her chest and stomach.

"Hey," Lorelai said softly, causing Luke to pause and look up at her, his chin resting on her stomach. She smiled and reached down to run her fingers affectionately through his hair. "We're married now."

"Yes, that's been established," he confirmed.

"Let's work double time on getting a baby in here," she murmured, her hand falling from his cheek to her own stomach. She bit her lower lip as she waited for his reaction

Luke tilted his head down to press a soft kiss to where his chin had been resting. "I thought you'd never ask," he murmured, pushing the shirt apart and leaning back as she sat up to slide it off.

She smiled as she kissed his way back up her body, bracing himself on his forearms when he finally reached her lips. "You realize that we're going to have to have to do this a lot," she whispered. "Every day. Sometimes multiple times a day."

"I think I'll be okay with that," Luke murmured.

Lorelai giggled, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him. "I'm really glad you're my husband," she whispered.

"And I'm really glad you're my wife," he said, gently brushing her hair away from her face.

"Let's make a baby."

It was all the encouragement Luke needed to kiss her deeply and fulfill her request.


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm so glad the wedding chapter was a success. There are still a couple things in the works for this story, so I hope you're all willing to stick around a bit longer. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sometimes he still couldn't believe the past few months had really happened. As Luke stepped out of his truck and made his way up the sidewalk to his house, he admired the new mailbox, which Lorelai had carefully painted their name; _Danes_ was written perfectly in silver paint. Her jeep was parked in her spot beside his in the driveway, and the porch lights were shining in the late spring dusk, indicating that she was already home. It wasn't surprising, as she'd had a light day at the inn, but he still marveled at the thrill he got returning to _their_ house after work.

"Hey," she smiled brightly at him as he walked into the kitchen. "I didn't think you'd be home this early."

"Al's having his two for one buffet night," Luke shrugged, leaning in to kiss her. "Not much business for the diner, they didn't need me."

"And you figured you'd come spend the evening with your beautiful wife," Lorelai said knowingly.

"That and finish the girls' rooms," he said.

"I finished them this afternoon," Lorelai said. She held up a plastic container and said, "I was just going to heat up the taco meat from last night, is that okay?"

"Sure," he nodded. "Are the rooms really done?"

"Right down to April's periodic table hung on the wall," Lorelai confirmed. "We're officially moved in, the last bubble wrap has been popped and last box has been destroyed."

"Didn't you go to the inn?" he asked. "When did you have time to finish their rooms?"

Lorelai was silent as she scooped the taco meat into a microwavable bowl. "I went to the doctor this afternoon," she said. "I didn't have to go back to work, so I came here and finished their rooms."

"You what?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed, turning to look at him and wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Just my yearly female check up."

"Oh," he nodded slowly. "Okay."

Lorelai bit her lower lip and looked at him. "They drew blood, and still no baby," she admitted.

He sighed and reached out to tug gently at her hair, twirling it around his finger. "It's only been a couple months since we started trying," he said.

"Yeah, that's what she said too," Lorelai said. "But she suggested some lifestyle changes. Nothing's guaranteed, but there are some things I can do to help make a baby want to stick with me for nine months."

"Like what?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Less alcohol intake, stuff like that," she said. "I'm really going to try to cut down on the caffeine, I promise. But I don't know if I can cut it out completely."

"We'll try weaning you off," he said. With a smirk, he added, "I've been giving you half decaf since New Year's."

Lorelai rolled her eyes. "I know," she said. Turning back back to their dinner, she smiled up at him. "Look, I'm being domestic."

He watched as she began slicing a tomato. "And looking damn good doing it," he admitted.

"Don't get too used to it," she warned. She continued slicing as he reached into the fridge and pulled out the tortillas he'd made the night before. "So I joined a gym today."

"You joined a what?" he asked, not sure if he'd heard her right.

"A gym," Lorelai repeated. "You know, treadmills, weights, leg warmers."

"I know what a gym is, I just didn't think _you_ did," he replied.

"I've been to a gym before," she scoffed.

"And how long did that last?" Luke asked.

Lorelai shrugged and sliced a few more pieces of tomato. "I wasn't trying to take care of our future baby then," she said.

Luke turned from the stove to look at her carefully. "What's that mean?" he asked.

"My doctor just said that if I exercise more regularly, my eggs might make your boys want to stick around," Lorelai shrugged.

He rolled his eyes. "Do you have to say it like that?" he asked.

"No, but the four shades of red in your face are just fun to see," Lorelai giggled. "I'm healthy, thank you very much, but she just said going to the gym for an hour or so every day could tip the scales in our favor. If that's all I have to do, I'll do it."

Luke could tell she was really trying hard to take care of herself, even if it meant going outside of her comfort zone. He leaned in to kiss her temple gently. "Thanks," he said. "I know it's a lot for you."

"I want this so much, Luke," she murmured. "Especially now that we're settled here, things…well, there's still one more room to fill."

"We'll fill it," he nodded.

She flashed him a nervous smile before she reached for the beer in his hand. "You have to make sacrifices too," she said, dumping it down the sink.

He opened his mouth to protest, but then clamped it shut. He wasn't sure how him giving up beer would help Lorelai get pregnant faster, but if she was going to sacrifice her body to his baby for nine months, he could go without alcohol. "Fine," he said. "Did the mail come today?"

"Yeah, still nothing from Chilton," Lorelai reported.

Luke shook his head. "You'd think for all those damn application fees they'd be able to give us a quicker response," he commented.

"Get used to it," Lorelai said. "You wouldn't believe the things rich people put fees on. I'm pretty sure Rory was charged thirty bucks every time she had to use the bathroom."

Luke slid his hat off his head and tossed it onto a kitchen chair. "We'll have to figure something out," he said to her.

"I know."

"Anna said she'd help, but I'm still not sure how we'll swing it."

"I know," Lorelai eyed him for a moment. "You know, we can see about rearranging some stuff at the inn, repaying your investment."

"No."

"Luke…"

"No, that money belongs to the inn," Luke replied.

"Hi, you're a business owner, you know that investments get paid off," Lorelai said.

"Not to the owner's husband."

Lorelai sighed. This was not the first time they'd had this argument. "We've been over this, you weren't my husband when you made the investment," she said. "That money's yours, not ours. It's April's education fund."

"Lorelai, I don't want to fight about this again," Luke said. "I don't want that money back."

"But Luke, you didn't know about her when you made the investment," Lorelai said. "If you had, that money would have been in a college fund for her. I know that's what you would have done."

"Well, I didn't know, did I?" he snapped.

Lorelai's eyes widened and her spine straightened. "I'm not the one who kept her from you," she shot back.

"I'm sorry," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just want to know if she's going to get in. It's not as simple as it was with Rory, we're going to need to change the custody arrangement."

Lorelai nodded and stepped closer. "The inn's doing really well, Luke," she said gently. "It's been four years, it's time we started paying you back. Regardless of our marriage, you're an investor in a business. We need to pay you back, it would be wrong for us to keep your money. I know you've got a lot on your mind with the custody. At least if we start paying you back we'll have tuition under control."

"Let's see if she gets in first," Luke said. He glanced at her and reached for her hand. "I'm sorry for snapping."

"It happens," she said. "I'm sure I'll even the playing field when I have huge ankles and you take away my coffee supply."

He nodded and turned back to their dinner. Pulling a pair of plates out of the cupboard he asked, "You talk to Rory today?"

"Yeah, she's all set up in Washington," Lorelai said. "They're getting a tour of the Senate floor tomorrow."

"Wow, I'm sure she's excited for that," Luke acknowledged.

Lorelai smiled softly. "She was talking even faster than usual," she acknowledged. "While dinner's cooking could you look at the jeep?"

"What's wrong with the jeep?" he asked.

"It was making a weird sound," Lorelai shrugged.

He looked at her suspiciously. "Did you try to decorate it again?" he asked.

"No!" Lorelai said defensively.

Luke nodded as he closed the door to the oven, where he'd placed the tortillas to warm. "You know when the baby comes we're going to have to get a better car," he said.

"Well, we've got plenty of time," Lorelai shrugged. "Once there's a baby to transport, we can worry about how we do so."

"Sounds logical," he nodded. "Where was the sound coming from?"

"Under the hood," Lorelai confirmed. "Kind of a clanking."

"I don't like you driving that car, it's not safe," he insisted.

"The engine is new!"

"But the car's not."

Lorelai shrugged. "Just look at it?" she asked. "Please? There's sex tonight if you do."

He shook his head. "There will be sex either way," he said.

Lorelai frowned. "Wow, this baby making thing totally gets in the way of bribing you with my womanly wiles," she commented.

"Turn the oven off in fifteen minutes," he requested as he headed to the back door.

"Thank you!" Lorelai called after him. He shook his head as he stepped back onto the porch and headed for her car. The three and a half months that they'd been married had been hectic, filled with packing, an emotional goodbye to the house where so many memories had been made, and unpacking. It felt good to realize that Lorelai had finally finished their daughters' rooms, that they were officially just a boring married couple. He shook his head as he popped the hood on Lorelai's car.

In his wildest dreams, he never would have thought he'd be fixing his car while she cooked dinner inside. Realizing quickly the many dangerous situations that could come from leaving Lorelai alone in the kitchen with a meal in progress, Luke leaned over the engine of her car, knowing he had to get back inside as soon as possible.

With a roll of his eyes, he reached for a small shamrock that was wedged under the hood. Some of Lorelai's St. Patrick's Day decorations must have made it into the car. He'd told her not to hook them onto the grill of the car, but she'd gone right ahead and ignored him. Some things would never change.

XXXXX

"Hi Mom!"

"Hello, Lorelai," Emily smiled as she led her into the living room. "No Luke tonight?"

"Nope, he had his lesson at the strip club tonight," Lorelai replied. "Those poles aren't going to dance on themselves."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Wine?" she asked.

Lorelai knew the next words out of her mouth would cause a discussion that would likely last the rest of the evening. "Um, just water's fine," she said. At Emily's expression she quickly added, "I'm not pregnant."

"Then have some wine," Emily insisted, challenging her daughter.

"I'm not pregnant, but the doctor thinks I should limit the alcohol intake," Lorelai cringed even as she spoke. Why she felt she could now tell her mother such intimate details of her life was unknown to her. This would somehow come back to haunt her.

"Alright," Emily said, handing her a glass of sparkling water.

"Where's Dad?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, he's been locked in his office all day, something about losing a client of thirty years," Emily shrugged. "How's the house?"

"It's good," Lorelai said with a smile. "We finally got the girls' rooms decorated, so we're officially moved in. I'll talk to Luke, but maybe next week we can have dinner at our house so you can see it all set up."

"That would be lovely," Emily added. "How are the girls?"

"They're good, Rory's in Washington for the week during some big Senate conference," Lorelai reported. "And April's still waiting for a letter from that damn Chilton."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I don't know what could possibly be taking them so long," she said. "They should be so lucky to have a girl like April."

"I know that and you know that, but maybe Missy Fitzgurdy is kicking up her heels that April's got better chances than her daughter Sissy," Lorelai shrugged.

"I'm not going to even try to understand what that means," Emily replied.

"Mrs. Gilmore, dinner's ready," a timid voice said from the doorway and Emily's face turned to stone. Lorelai bit her lower lip, flashing the poor maid a sympathetic glance.

"Olivia, didn't I tell you that we're waiting for Mr. Gilmore?" Emily asked.

"Yes, but dinner's ready now, and I…"

"And didn't I tell you not to put dinner into the oven so early?" Emily continued.

"Yes, but I…"

"Oh for heaven's sake, it's not rocket science, come with me," Emily snapped, leading the maid out of the room.

Lorelai looked around for a moment, her eyes landing on a new addition to an end table across the room. She smiled as she recognized herself and Luke, surrounded by their daughters and her parents during their wedding. It was touching to know her mother had approved of the marriage enough to frame a photo of the event and place it in such a prominent place.

"Honestly, I don't know why a single maid can't simply do what I ask her to," Emily huffed as she came into the room. She swept her drink into her hand and sat down, then turned to Lorelai. "So, how are you and Luke doing in your efforts to conceive?"

Lorelai choked on her drink and brought a hand to her chest. "What?" she asked.

"You and Luke are still trying to have a child, aren't you?" Emily asked as if it were a perfectly normal question. "There is significant medical research on the topic, have you been researching effective conception methods?"

Lorelai put her drink on the table and buried her face in her hands. "This is not happening."

"I was talking to Addison Fitzgerald, her son is quite a renowned fertility specialist now," Emily continued. "Apparently there are several positions which should be taken…"

"Oh my god, stop!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Mom, this is none of your business!"

Emily tilted her head to the side. "Aren't you trying to have a baby?" she asked.

"This is between me and Luke," Lorelai replied.

"I'm simply wondering if you've done the research about how to be successful," Emily replied.

Under any other situation Lorelai would have come back with a dirty joke about her and Luke being _very_ successful at what they were doing. But when her mother announced that she had brochures on the topic and went to find them, all Lorelai could do was head straight for the drink cart. She'd promised Luke she'd cut back on her alcohol intake, but her mother's choice of conversation called for extreme measures.

"Here we are," Emily announced as she breezed down the staircase. "Now this first one highlights how to prepare your womb..."

With a roll of her eyes, Lorelai downed her martini in a single tilt of her head. It was going to be a long night.

XXXXX

"Hey, you're back earlier than I thought you'd be."

Without a word, Lorelai dropped a pile of papers into Luke's lap and then collapsed beside him on the couch, pulling a pillow over her face.

"What is this stuff?" he asked, holding up the paper on top. "How to conceive a girl in three attempts or less. Where the hell did you get this from?"

Lorelai groaned underneath the pillow. "My mother," she said.

"What?" Luke asked.

She pulled the pillow down and informed him, "I just spent two hours listening to my mother give me advice about which positions we should be having sex in so we're sure to conceive a baby."

Luke's eyes widened. "She did what?"

"And it's a completely moot point because I've scheduled my brain removal for tomorrow, so it was nice knowing you," Lorelai replied. "Ugh, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to unhear anything she said."

"Please don't share."

"Don't worry, I love you too much to submit you to that," she said.

"Thanks."

"But it may be several days before I'm ready to jump back in," Lorelai said. "You've seen Jaws."

"You've got to work up the courage to get back in ocean," he nodded. "Got it."

Lorelai made a face as she reached onto his lap and held out a piece of paper. "This one's illustrated, in case you were wondering," she said. "I got this visual and the technical definition of why you should be on top. Something about working against gravity."

"Okay, enough," Luke groaned, throwing the papers onto the coffee table. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Me too," Lorelai said. "I may have broken the no alcohol rule."

"I don't blame you," Luke said with a grimace.

Lorelai flopped back against the couch and hugged the pillow to her chest. "How was the diner tonight?" she asked.

"Busy," he said with a nod. "The high school debate team won, so everyone came in to celebrate."

"Damn, I could have watched the big debate," Lorelai said with fake disappointment. "Did Kirk ask you to reserve the diner again?"

"Yes, and he won't tell me why," Luke said.

"What could he possibly need the entire diner for?" Lorelai asked.

"It's Kirk, who the hell knows?" Luke shrugged.

"Don't you want to know?" she asked.

Luke shrugged. "Sure, but not enough to trust him with my place of business," he said. "God knows what he wants to do in there."

"Maybe he's planning a Fight Club," Lorelai said. "Or a sex cave."

Luke winced. "I don't want to think about that," he said.

"It wouldn't be the first time that storage room has seen some action," Lorelai reminded him.

"Yeah, but just because we've broken a couple health codes doesn't mean I want to picture Kirk doing that in my diner," Luke said.

Lorelai wrinkled her nose. "First my mother, then Kirk," she said. "The universe really doesn't want us to have sex tonight."

"We can take a night off," he nodded.

"Yeah, any kid we make tonight won't be as cute as the one we make in the future," Lorelai nodded.

Luke laughed as he wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into him and pointed to the TV. "What are the odds that Jaws is on TV tonight?" she asked.

He held the remote out of her grasp. "No way, it's a final four game," he insisted.

"Like I'm supposed to know what that means?"

"Basketball," he explained.

She groaned and pulled herself out of his embrace. "So you wouldn't have pulled yourself away from your precious game to impregnate me tonight anyways," she said.

Luke smirked and gently nudged her leg with his foot. "You're blocking my view," he informed her.

"I'm going to take a bath and try to remember why the hell I married you," Lorelai announced.

Luke craned his neck around her. "Uh huh."

"And then I'm going to go call my mom and give her a very detailed description of our efforts to give her another grandchild."

"Good."

Lorelai rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "I wonder where that portable TV is," she muttered as she walked towards the stairs. "If he thinks he's watching this crap during sweeps week he's got another thing coming."

XXXXX

Lorelai stared at her reflection as she washed her hands in her bathroom sink two weeks later. She'd woken to the familiar churning in her stomach and had known she was cashing in her womanly dues for the month before her shower that morning. She knew how disappointed he would be at the knowledge that they'd have to wait another month to see if they'd made a baby. She was just as disappointed, but they'd just have to push through it until next month.

With a sigh, she returned to her bedroom and reached for her sneakers, watching as Luke fastened his watch around his wrist. "You still like it?" she asked.

"Like what?" he glanced over at her as he placed his hat on his head.

"The watch," she said as she tied her shoe.

He smiled as he leaned down to kiss her. "I love it," he assured her.

"Good, that was the point," Lorelai slid her other foot into her sneaker.

"You're really going for it, huh?" he asked, taking in her yoga pants and work out shirt. "The whole gym thing?"

She shrugged. "What can I say, I want to make sure little baby Danes feels welcome in here," she gestured to her stomach. "But once that bun is baking, no more gym for me."

"Noted."

"You should come with me some time!" Lorelai said. "It would be so fun, like a couple's workout."

"No thanks."

"You know, for someone who claims to be so fit and healthy, I've never actually seen you work out," she commented.

"That's because you sleep at least an hour later than me," he said.

"So you run in the middle of the night?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Whenever I wake up," he said. He shot her a look and said, "Plus, I walk that damn dog more than you do."

She frowned. "He can hear you, you know," she said.

Luke glanced to the corner where Paul Anka was sprawled on his back, sound asleep with his legs in the air. "He looks real offended," he said sarcastically.

"He doesn't have to be, I'm offended _for_ him," Lorelai said. "Save me a donut?"

"You could just forgo the gym and not eat the donut," Luke told her. "Or better yet, go to the gym and still not eat the donut."

"I don't like you right now."

"You're cranky."

"Sorry," she said. "Just…got my friendly little reminder that we're not going to be parents any time in the next nine months."

Luke sighed and sat down on the bed beside her. "Maybe we're putting too much pressure on it," he said. "We both want it so badly, and every time you get your…thing, we're so disappointed."

"Well, my _thing_ is a pretty strong slap in the face reminding me that what we're doing isn't working," Lorelai sighed. "God, you'd think with the amount of sex we have and the amount of coffee I'm _not_ drinking we'd have a million babies by now."

"Let's just stick with one to start," Luke requested.

Lorelai offered him a small smile. "Yeah, those million babies would be pretty miserable to give birth to," she replied. She flopped back against the bed and asked, "What should we do?"

"I don't think we can do much else," Luke said, angling his body to look down at her. "You want to think about seeing a fertility doctor?"

"Not yet," she sighed as she sat up. "Maybe by the fall if nothing's happened."

"It hasn't been that long," Luke said.

"I went off the pill in August," she argued.

"But we've only been actively trying for a couple months," Luke said. "Before it was just…not avoiding it."

"I guess," she said. "I'm just so used to instant gratification, it's hard to not know."

"I know," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I want it now too."

She sighed. "Well, you can tell King Arthur that he has a couple days to gather his court," she said. "And make sure they're armed this time."

Luke rolled his eyes as he untangled himself from her embrace. "I draw the line at talking to it," he told her.

"I don't," she said. "Take off your pants."

He shoved her greedy hands away and stepped back. "If you stop I'll give you a strong cup of coffee," he bartered.

She immediately drew her fingers over her lips in a zipping motion. "Done," she announced. "I'll see you in a bit."

Luke leaned down to kiss her. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you too," she beamed up at him.

She sighed as she watched Luke walk out the door. When she heard the front door close behind him, she rolled off the bed and moved into her walk in closet. She balanced on a box as she reached for a shopping bag on the top shelf, shoved behind a box of old shoes she'd insisted she had to keep during the move. She stepped back onto the floor as she pulled a tiny item out of the bag, tracing her finger over the words. _Baby Danes._ She'd sewed it during an overnight shift at the inn that fall, determined to be pregnant a month after her wedding. She'd wanted to give it to Luke when she told him that they'd finally succeeded, but now it was still shoved in the back of her closet.

"Don't wait too long, baby," she whispered before she shoved the shirt back into the back and placed it behind her shoes.

XXXXX

An hour later, Lorelai bounded into the diner, smiling widely at Luke. "I'm ready," she announced.

"For what?" he asked, maneuvering around her to deliver two plates of eggs.

"For my coffee, full caffeine, and donut, as promised," she reminded him.

"I thought you were going to the gym," he replied, appearing in front of her as she settled onto her stool.

"I did."

Luke looked at her skeptically. "I've barely been here an hour," he stated.

"So?"

"An hour ago you were at home."

"And then I went to the gym and came here," Lorelai replied.

"You went to the gym, had a complete work out, and then came here, all in the past hour?" Luke confirmed what she was telling him.

"Why are you confused?" she asked.

He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "What exactly constitutes a workout in your head?" he asked.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side and offered him a smile. "You think I'm pretty, right?" she asked.

"Yes," he placated. "Now what do you do at the gym?"

"Work out."

"What possible work out takes that little time?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged and held her coffee cup out. "You can give me half decaf," she permitted.

"Lorelai…"

"Well, I tried going to the gym and going on that ski machine thing," Lorelai said. "But it's hard!"

"Yeah, that's the point," Luke replied.

She sighed dramatically. "So then I figured, hey, I don't ski, why should I have to practice skiing?" she continued. "I went to that weight machine, you know, with the water that swishes when you row, and then I realized that we don't need to row our boat, so yet another useless skill that I didn't need to practice. So I went to the pilates class and they were doing planks."

"Oh, this should be good," Luke interjected.

Lorelai glanced around the diner and leaned closer. "I tried that, but I realized that particular position was totally boring without you underneath me," she stated, enjoying the flush that crept over his features. "So…I went to the smoothie bar."

Luke rolled his eyes and turned to the coffee machine. "I should have known," he muttered.

"I tried!" Lorelai exclaimed. "It's boring."

He shook his head as he looked at her carefully. "It's no big deal," he commented. "You're eating better, cutting back on the caffeine, which I know is hard for you. I know you're trying to take care of yourself."

"I really am," she confirmed.

He leaned across the counter, leaning his elbows on the counter so he was eye level with her. "The pilates thing _does_ sound promising," he murmured.

Lorelai felt a warm rush flood her body. "Luke Danes, are you trying to seduce me?" she asked.

"Am I succeeding, Lorelai Gilmore?" he asked.

"Sorry, the only Lorelai Gilmore I know is in Washington D.C."

He rolled his eyes. "Am I succeeding, Lorelai Gilmore _Danes?"_ He corrected himself.

She giggled and nodded. "Yes, but you're going to have to wait a couple days," she reminded him.

Luke sighed. "That stuff can make a man's life real hard," he commented.

"Yeah, you're the ones who really suffer three to six days a month," Lorelai nodded with fake sympathy. "Childbirth is really hard for you too, isn't it?"

"Point taken, I'm an idiot," Luke nodded as he straightened.

"I didn't say that," she countered with a laugh.

Luke opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. "Luke's," he said automatically as he answered it. "Hey, April!"

Lorelai perked up and leaned over the counter as he edged closer to her, holding the phone so they could both hear her.

"…middle of August," April was saying.

"What's the middle of August?" Lorelai interjected. "Your dad didn't get the phone over fast enough. I keep telling him he needs to come with me to the gym."

"You go to the gym?" April asked dubiously, causing Luke to snicker.

"April, come on!" Lorelai whined.

"I got into Chilton," April replied.

Lorelai smiled as she watched Luke's face transform into one of complete paternal pride. "April, that's amazing," he exclaimed sincerely. "I'm so proud of you!"

"We both are," Lorelai remarked.

"Thanks," April responded. "I got a scholarship too. I submitted some of my old science fair awards and Chilton has some sort of endowment for students with scientific promise. I have to maintain a certain GPA, but it's going to cover a majority of the tuition."

"Oh, April, that's incredible," Lorelai stated, noticing Luke's shocked expression. "That's no easy task. Even your sister wasn't given a penny, and her grandparents have some sort of freaky relationship with Headmaster Charleston."

Luke cleared his throat as he leaned closer to the phone. "I'm really proud of you, kid," he said.

"Thanks, Dad," April said. "But it looks like you're going to have to get used to me being around."

Luke's face lit up, but then fell slightly. "What does your mom have to say about this?" he asked, and Lorelai offered him a sympathetic smile.

"She gets why I can't pass it up," April replied.

"Is she there?" Luke asked.

"No, she's with my grandmother," April said. She paused and said, "I…may have called you first. She got a lot of other firsts in my life, you should have this one."

Lorelai smiled, wondering why she was still so impressed when her stepdaughter proved herself to be wise beyond her years.

"Thanks, kid," Luke said. "When you do tell her, ask her to give me a call, okay? We have some stuff to figure out."

"I know," April sighed. She was quiet for a moment before she admitted, "I don't know how much longer Mom will need to be here. Grandma's not doing too well."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Lorelai sympathized. "I know what that's like."

"Thanks, Lorelai," April said. "Dad, can I call you later?"

"Sure," Luke said. "I'm so proud of you, April."

"Thanks," she said. "Bye, Lorelai!"

Lorelai watched as Luke hung up the phone and turned back to her, unable to wipe the smile off his face. "Wow," he muttered, almost to himself. As she watched her husband, Lorelai was transported back to a moment eight years earlier, in the kitchen of the Independence Inn, as she'd shoved a shopping bag with a Chilton skirt into Rory's hands. She knew exactly how he was feeling right now.

After letting him bask in fatherly pride for a moment, she offered him a wide smile. "We're two for two," she observed.

"I guess we are," he said. "Who would have thought?"

"Yeah, between me sneaking out of my parents' house and you making out with Crazy Carrie, our high school experiences were quite different than our kids'," Lorelai commented.

"I did not make out with her."

"Sure, Butch."

"I didn't!"

Lorelai simply took another sip of coffee.

"Stop."

"I'm just drinking my coffee!"

"I know what you're thinking."

She raised her eyebrows. "Really?" she asked, nodding to his left hand. "That give you super powers or something?"

He looked down at his wedding ring and flexed his hand. "I think so," he confirmed.

"Well, then, super husband, what am I thinking right now?" Lorelai challenged.

Luke gave her a small smile as he reached out to pour her another cup of coffee. "How damn lucky you are to have a husband who's not making you drink decaf today," he stated.

Lorelai giggled as she raised her mug to her lips. "Spot on," she said with a nod.

XXXXX

Lorelai was getting frustrated.

As she sat on the couch, dressed in nothing but Luke's favorite lingerie and a pair of black heels, her hair perfectly fluffed and make flawlessly applied, she was feeling her anticipation fade as her anger grew. He'd driven to Bridgeport to check on how to boat had fared during the winter, and she'd taken advantage of the time alone to sexy herself up for him. They'd been trying to for a baby for months now, but somewhere along the line they'd started ripping each other's clothes off without as much romance as they'd once had. She'd been determined to welcome him home tonight with a seductive pose on the couch, but he'd promised to be home an hour ago. She'd tried calling his cell phone to no avail.

When the clock finally clicked from 9:59 to 10:00, Lorelai rolled her eyes and headed for the stairs. "He's going to have to work harder for it now," she muttered. "I can't believe I sat around in that for over an hour and didn't get anything for it." She tossed the lingerie onto his pillow, smirking with the knowledge that he'd figure out what he'd missed when he went to bed that night. She quickly pulled on a pair of yoga pants and her Bangles t-shirt turning to look at Paul Anka who was holding one of Luke's shoes in his mouth.

"Exactly, we're mad at Daddy right now," she said to her dog.

Just as she was descending the stairs she heard the doorbell ring and froze. Maybe it was her in depth knowledge of drama TV, but she knew that late night door bell rings typically led to horrible things.

Lorelai timidly pulled the door open and felt her heart rate speed up at the sight of two police officers in front of her.

"Lorelai Danes?" one of them asked.

"That's me," Lorelai whispered.

"Your husband is Lucas Danes?"

Lorelai felt her hands fall to her middle, hugging herself protectively. "Don't tell me," she insisted.

"I'm very sorry…"

"No," shook her head firmly. "No. No!"

"There was an accident…"

"No!" she shouted, backing into the foyer, away from the police officers who were lying to her. "No!" She felt herself begin to fall, and a moment later she was collapsing.

With a gasp, Lorelai sat up straight in bed, her bedroom dark with the exception of the moonlight streaming through the windows. She was panting hard, and she turned to look at the clock, which was glowing 3:42 in bright green letters. Still trying to catch her breath, she reached out to Luke's side of the bed, running her hand over his back as she tried to convince himself that he was still here, with her, safe and alive in their bed.

At her touch, Luke shifted onto his back and tossed an arm over his eyes. "You kay?" he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

Lorelai swallowed hard, the sound of his voice causing her emotions from her dream to flow over her. Dream Lorelai had been convinced she'd never hear that voice again. "I had a dream," she said quietly. "I'm okay."

With a gentle tug, Luke pulled her back down to the pillows. She turned onto her side to look at him, admiring his profile in the moonlight of their bedroom. His chest was rising and falling evenly, and she reached out to press a hand to his chest, where she could feel his heart beating, strong and steady.

"You sure?" he murmured.

"Yeah," she whispered, leaning closer to press a kiss to his chest through his t-shirt.

"Love…you…" he drifted off to sleep.

"I love you too," she whispered, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. "So much."

XXXXX

The next morning, Lorelai was pulled from her sleep when she felt the bed dip beneath her. Still exhausted, having only dozed after the nightmare to end all nightmares, she stretched and turned onto her back where she saw Luke looking down at her with concern in his eyes. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," her voice was scratchy with sleep and she cleared her throat. "Hi," she tried again.

Luke ran his hand over her leg. "You okay?" he asked.

Unsure if he remembered their brief exchange in the middle of the night, Lorelai slowly pushed herself to sit up. "I had a dream," she admitted.

"I remember," he confirmed. "It's been awhile since that happened."

She nodded slowly, twisting her wedding rings around her finger. "It was a new one," she said. "Worse."

"Worse?" Luke frowned.

Lorelai nodded and pressed her hands to her eyes. "You were late," she admitted. "I was mad because you weren't home when you said you would be and then police officers came and you were…" she couldn't bear to finish the sentence and allowed the tears to flow.

"Oh, Lorelai," he sighed, shifting so he was leaning against the headboard beside her. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to the top of her head. She turned into his chest and sobbed for a few minutes, and he rubbed her back gently as he whispered soft words of comfort in her ear. "I'm right here."

Finally, she pulled away. "God, Luke, it was horrible," she admitted. "I don't even know how to describe it, it was the most awful thing I've ever experienced."

"It was a dream."

"It was so real."

Luke pressed a kiss to her forehead and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. "I'm starting to get really worried about this," he admitted.

She clutched his shirt in her fingers. "Stay," she pleaded. "Don't go to work, stay. Please."

Without a word, Luke lifted one hand and reached for the phone. "Hey, Cesar, it's me. Something came up, I won't be in until this afternoon, if at all. Okay thanks." He hung up the phone and replaced it on the table before he turned back to Lorelai.

She wasn't crying anymore, but she was gripping his shirt in a death grip, as if she was afraid he'd disappear if she let go. "Are you hungry?" he murmured.

"No," she shook her head against his chest.

"Okay," he sighed, settling further into the pillows as he ran a hand through her hair. She was still for a long moment, and he thought she'd fallen back to sleep.

"You can't die."

Luke swallowed hard at the vulnerability in her voice. As much as he wanted to, he knew better than anyone that he couldn't promise that. He was older now than his mother ever had been. "I'm here," he promised.

She sighed as she lifted her head, sitting up straight as she wiped at her eyes. "I hate this," she murmured. "I hate that I can't focus on what we have and keep focusing on how quickly it can be gone. I want to enjoy being happy."

"I'm going to say it again," he whispered, reaching to wipe a tear away from her cheek. "I think you should call Abby."

Lorelai nodded. "I think so too," she said. "I can't keep living like this."

"I can go with you," he offered.

As much as she wanted to give in and beg him to come with her, Lorelai shook her head softly. "I think this is something I need to do on my own," she admitted.

"Okay," he said. "But if you need me…"

"I'll tell you," she said. She was quiet before fresh tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry you married a mess."

"Don't say that," he murmured. "I married you, and I want to help you. I don't like how much these dreams are scaring you."

"I'll call Abby later," Lorelai said. She squeezed his hand gently. "I guess there's really no such thing as a happily ever after, is there?"

"I'm happy," he murmured. "I just wish you were."

"I am happy," she promised. "Happier than ever, I promise. But…I don't know, have I messed myself up so much that I can't let myself enjoy that?"

"You're not messed up," Luke assured her.

She shook her head slightly. "Thanks for being here," she murmured.

"I wish there was more I could do," he said honestly.

"Luke, you're doing everything right," she promised. "When I think back to two years ago…I never could have talked to you like this. I never _would_ have talked to you like this. But now I know you'll be here, that you won't judge me. That means the world to me."

"I'm glad to be here," he said. "But please…call Abby? For me?"

"I will," she promised. "The second the office opens."

Luke smiled, but the worry was still present in his eyes. "Tell me what I can do to help," he requested.

Lorelai sighed as she leaned into him. "You're doing it," she promised.

XXXXX

"…and he's been so great," Lorelai said as she finished telling Abby about her dreams. "Even if it's the middle of the night, he wakes up and holds me until I calm down."

Abby offered Lorelai a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry you're having those dreams," she said. "They sound really terrifying."

"They are," Lorelai admitted. "The first one I had, about Luke and Anna, with her being his wife and pregnant, was awful. It was the most vivid one I've had, but the past couple nights have been Luke…" she swallowed hard as she felt her emotions taking control of her again. "Last night, he crashed his truck when he was on his way back from bringing April to the airport. I watched it happen."

"Here," Abby said, holding a box of tissues out to Lorelai, who took one gratefully. "Do you think the dreams represent something?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, my huge, paralyzing fear of my husband dying in front of me," Lorelai said.

"Something more than that," Abby said gently.

Lorelai blew her nose and tossed the tissue into the trash can before she looked down at her wedding rings. "Maybe it's not just Luke," she whispered. "Maybe, in my dream, it's our entire life, everything we've worked for, collapsing in one second. It's my biggest fear."

"Why do you think you're so scared of that?" Abby asked.

"Because it's everything!" Lorelai cried. "I mean, Rory's on her own now, and she's still the best thing I've ever done. And as sad as it makes me sometimes, she's not part of my everyday life anymore. I talk to her every day, we're still best friends, but she's not _here._ My routine, my home, my schedule coordinating is with Luke now. If something happens to him, I'll be completely alone."

"You'd have Rory," Abby said softly. "Your parents. April. Your friends."

Lorelai shook her head. "It's not the same," she said. "He's…Luke. If anything happens to him, I…I don't know how I'd get through it."

Abby leaned forward and met Lorelai's eyes. "I think you're scared of not getting something," she said.

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"That first dream, with Anna," Abby said. "You were seeing another woman get what you wanted, a life with Luke. And now that the dreams are getting more severe, losing him in your dreams represents how scared you are that you're not going to get something. Not a new pair of shoes or a cup of coffee, but something huge."

"A baby," Lorelai murmured. She was quiet before she smiled slightly. "We want one so badly. She'll be so beautiful."

"You don't have to share too much, but how is that going?" Abby asked.

Lorelai thought for a moment, wondering how much to tell Abby without disclosing their entire sex life. "When we got engaged, I told him that I wanted his baby," she said. "I went off the pill, but we didn't take a proactive stance. It was more…if it happens it happens kind of thing. And a huge part of me thought it would happen then. We're not exactly… abstinent."

"And after you got married?" Abby prompted.

A fond smile graced Lorelai's lips as she remembered their wedding night and how Luke had taken his time to make her feel beautiful and cherished, his lips lingering over her stomach for extra time. "We decided to really start trying," she said. "I started tracking my cycle, we took advantage of the times I was ovulating, but still…nothing."

"It's only been three months, Lorelai."

"The practical part of me knows that," Lorelai said. "But neither of us are exactly young in regards to pregnancy. Those stupid bitches at the OBGYN office refer to me as a geriatric patient since I'm over 35. Luke and I don't have all the time in the world for this to happen."

"It sounds like you're putting way too much pressure on yourself," Abby commented. "That could make things hard."

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "But sometimes I can't help but wonder if my karma is going to cost us our baby."

"Karma?' Abby asked.

"Yeah," Lorelai said. "You know, girl gets pregnant at fifteen, ruins all of her potential, and then can't get pregnant when she's married and ready. It's my fault Luke's never going to get another baby."

"Okay, that's a lot of blame you're placing on yourself," Abby said. "And unnecessary blame at that. You have got to give yourself a break."

"He wants a baby so badly," Lorelai murmured. "So do I."

Abby shrugged. "Worst case scenario, you don't get pregnant," she suggested. "What do you see?"

Lorelai was quiet for a moment. "We could adopt a kid," she murmured. "I know a lot of girls aren't as lucky as I was. We haven't talked about it, but…I guess there are options."

"There are," Abby said gently. "But Lorelai, I think you need to relax and give yourself some time. I know you've always set your mind to something and worked hard to get it. This is a little bit out of your control."

"I know," Lorelai said. "That's part of why it scares me, I guess. The fact that I want it so badly, but can't do much to control when it happens."

"It takes time," Abby said. "Maybe you should take a step back."

"What do you mean?" Lorelai asked.

"When was the last time you and Luke had a conversation that didn't end up being about getting pregnant?" Abby asked.

"We talk about other stuff," Lorelai became defensive.

"I'm sure you do," Abby said. "But from what you've told me, all conversations lead back to what's going to happen when you're pregnant. Or which nights you should be trying. Or how disappointed you are that it hasn't happened yet. When was your last conversation with your husband that had absolutely nothing to do with babies?"

Lorelai opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly realized she couldn't answer. Everything for the past few months…the move, the unpacking, even on their wedding night….had been centered around one thing, having a kid. And now that they were settled into the new house, there was nothing left to focus on besides the fact that their kid still didn't exist.

"Oh my god, I'm one of those women," she breathed.

"Lorelai, it's okay," Abby said.

"No it's not," Lorelai said. "I'm one of those women, you know, those women who get married and are immediately focused on having sex for the sole purpose of getting pregnant. I mean not that that's the only reason we're having sex, because my husband is pretty damn hot, but that doesn't change the fact that I've become the kind of woman who focuses more on her ovulation cycle and tracking my temperature than all the great things I do have. I so did not see this coming!"

"Can I give you some advice?" Abby asked calmly.

"Please," Lorelai sighed, burying her face in her hands.

"See where Luke stands on this," Abby said gently.

"He wants a baby too," Lorelai replied.

"I believe that," Abby assured her. "But just see what he thinks. About whether he thinks it's taking too long, whether he's putting pressure on himself, all the things that are bothering you, see if they're bothering him too."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "Okay," she said.

Abby leaned forward with a small smile. "I'm going to cross a line here," she said. "Because I like you and Luke."

Lorelai's eyebrows shot up curiously. "Okay," she said.

"My first kid came around about nine months after my husband and I decided we were going to stop trying so hard," Abby said. "We forgot the diet changes and cycle tracking and just had fun together."

A small smile spread across Lorelai's lips. "Thanks, Abby," she said sincerely. "For everything."

"Just doing my job," Abby replied.

Lorelai reached for her bag and stood. "Well, you're pretty good at it," she said.

"Thanks," Abby said, standing with her. "I think you just need to relax, Lorelai. If you're going to keep worrying about having kids, your body is going to respond to that. You and Luke have come a long way, take some time to enjoy that."

"We will," Lorelai said. "I'll make an appointment for next week?"

Abby offered her a warm smile. "I'll be here."

XXXXX

Two hours later, Lorelai pulled her car up outside of the market and wandered inside. Luke was still at work, but she knew they were running low on some things, and she wanted to pick them up before she went home.

She'd just tossed a new bag of coffee into her basket and was rounding the corner to pick up the salsa she knew Luke liked when she saw a familiar blue baseball hat floating down the next aisle. She quickly slipped behind him and stepped close as he reached for a bag of sugar. "Want to go make out by the plums?" she breathed into his ear.

Luke jumped, dropped the sugar onto the ground, and then turned to look at her. She giggled as confusion came over his face, quickly replaced with annoyance. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"According to Patty they're better than sex," Lorelai reported. She watched, tilting her head to the side and admiring her view, as he bent over to pick up the dropped bag of sugar. "Personally, I think plums have got nothing on you."

Luke sighed and turned to look at her. "How did your afternoon go?" he asked, glancing around the market suspiciously. He didn't trust this town not to have the market wired. He could see Patty and Babette having some sort of radio transmission that picked up on private conversations anywhere on Main Street.

"Good," Lorelai said. "I…well, I figured some stuff out. I probably owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"For being too focused on…you know."

Luke sighed and looked down at his watch. He didn't want to get into details in the middle of the market. That hadn't worked out too well for them in the past. "I'll be done in half an hour or so," he told her. "I just had to get some sugar to tide the diner over until tomorrow. I'll drop this off, change out the register, and then we can talk at home?"

"Sure," Lorelai nodded. She tilted her head to the side and asked, "Bring me some coffee?"

He nodded and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "Always," he promised.

She offered him a happy smile. "I knew there was a reason I married you," she sighed.

Forty five minutes later, she was seated on their back porch, enjoying the fading afternoon light of the unseasonably warm March afternoon. It was amazing to her that a year ago, she'd just been beginning to face her fears and figure out all of the tangled webs in her brain. Back then she hadn't even thought she'd have a chance in hell of ever even kissing Luke again. Now here she was, married for real this time, in a house of their own.

As she gently pushed her foot against the porch rail, setting the swing into a rocking motion, Lorelai reflected on her conversation with Abby that afternoon. She'd made a lot of realizations, and even more in the few hours since she'd left the doctor's office. Now, with a clearer grip on her obsession with getting pregnant, she realized that not all of her desires were selfish. She wanted her husband to be able to have everything he wanted, and she knew that there was still a very empty part of his life. As incredible as a father as he was, he still had never gotten to experience so much of the joy. She wanted him to be able to hold his newborn in his arms, she wanted him to watch their kids' first steps and hear their first words. He would love their child just as much as he loved April and Rory, he'd teach them new things and help them through hard times. He'd proved himself as a reliable father time and time again.

 _I'm not letting her give up on her dreams…April's very excited...you baked a sixteen year old girl birthday coffee cake...they belonged to my mother…Rory's okay?...you built her a basketball court!_

Lorelai smiled fondly as she recalled the many times Luke had put the girls before himself. He so deserved to have a child that was his, that he knew about from the same moment she did, that he would feel moving inside of her and that he would know the second she brought their kid into the world. She desperately wanted to provide that for him.

"There you are."

Lorelai smiled as she looked up from the porch swing, scooting over to give Luke room to sit down. He did so and offered her a smile as she turned to look at him.

"Hi," she said, tucking one leg underneath her as the other dangled off the edge of the swing, her foot again setting the swing into a gentle rocking motion.

Luke examined her closely. "You look okay," he observed.

Lorelai pretended to swoon. "A girl always dreams of hearing those words," she gushed.

"I mean, I thought you'd be more…upset after seeing Abby," Luke said. He thought back to their sessions over the past summer when she'd retreated into herself after they'd met with Abby. She still looked thoughtful, but calmer and more relaxed than she had back then.

Lorelai shrugged. "I guess I got some insight," she said. "But really, Luke, I do want to apologize. About being so worked up over this baby thing. I know now how obsessive I've been about it."

"I want it too," he murmured.

"I know," Lorelai nodded. "But Abby asked me when we last had a conversation that didn't somehow involve us having a kid, and I realized I couldn't answer her. We've been so focused on it, I've been so focused on it."

Luke let out a frustrated sigh. "So now you don't want to try anymore?" he asked.

"I'm not saying that," Lorelai shook her head. "I'm saying…we need to think about other things too. I mean, even on our wedding night we were so focused on getting pregnant, when it should have been about us."

Luke reached out to brush his fingers over her cheek. "It was a damn good night," he recalled.

"It was," Lorelai giggled. "And I'm not saying we're getting boring or robotic or anything, but it's always there, you know? Every time, when we're done, I can't help but think 'maybe this was the time.'"

Luke sighed as he looked at her. He could tell she was trying to be honest, but he was having trouble understanding what her point was. "I guess I'm missing what you want to do about it," he finally admitted. "Stop trying? Think about fertility? Let it go altogether?"

"No, none of that," Lorelai said. "I know you want a baby too, Luke. I want to know what else you think."

He frowned. "What else is there to think?" he asked. "We want a baby, so we're trying for a baby."

"That's true," Lorelai nodded. She stared down at her hands. "My big revelation today was what my dreams have been meaning about my every day life," she admitted. "And…I think at first, the dream I was having about you and Anna, was me being afraid that you'd go somewhere else if I can't give you what you want. Consciously, I know that you'd never do that, but we both know that my head is a wild jungle of insecurities. And this new dream, when you…" she squeezed her eyes shut as she fought the memory of her dream last night, when she'd been frozen in place as she'd watched Luke's truck slam into a tree mere yards from her. "Well, I think it's me realizing that I'm scared I'm not going to be able to give you a baby. You're an incredible father, Luke, and you deserve to have this, a kid you knowingly help bring into the world, one who you know from the second he or she is born and never let go of. I know that if it never happens, I'd be okay. Disappointed, sure, but I'm more scared of not being to give that to you. I want to be the one, I want to create a life with you. I'm just afraid of letting you down if it doesn't happen."

"You are never going to let me down," Luke said, tipping her chin up to him. "Lorelai, a year ago I thought we'd never even be here. Look at everything we've done, at our family. Do you think April would be moving back here, going to Chilton if it wasn't for you? When I think about where we'd be if you hadn't been brave enough to face your fears, or to ask me to face mine, _that's_ what scares me. I'd still be living in that musty old apartment, missing April and thinking about what could have been with you. But I'm not, I'm here, in this amazing house, with you. April's coming home, Rory's doing amazing things on the road, and we're married, Lorelai. _Married."_

His tone was slightly incredulous, and she flashed back to their first sleepover, when she'd commandeered his bed after the Independence Inn had caught fire. _We were…married...in your dream?_ Now, five years later, they were actually married, and he still seemed amazed by the idea.

With a smile, Lorelai picked up his left hand and twisted his wedding ring slightly. "So you'd really be okay?" she asked. "If the baby thing never happens?"

"I do want a baby," he said. "I want to see you pregnant, I want to know what a kid we create would look like. But if it doesn't happen there are other options. Not all teenage moms are as brave as you were, we could always adopt."

Lorelai smiled and shifted so she was resting her head on his shoulder. She'd said almost the same thing to Abby this afternoon. "We could," she said.

"But it's only been a few months," Luke murmured, his arm wrapping around her shoulder.

"We've got some time," Lorelai nodded. "Not a lot, but a little. I know."

They were silent for a moment before Lorelai shivered slightly and tried to scoot closer to him. "You're cold," Luke frowned. "Let's get you inside."

"No, I'm okay," Lorelai promised. "You're all warm and snuggly."

"You sure?" Luke asked.

"Positive," she confirmed. "Luke?" she asked after a moment.

"Hmm?"

Lorelai bit her lower lip, then pulled back to look at him. "Is it overwhelming for you?" she asked. "The baby thing? I know you're going through a lot with Anna right now."

Luke met her gaze evenly. "A little," he admitted.

She tilted her head to the side. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

"I don't know, I guess…I guess I just thought that they're not really related," he said. "We're talking about both things, I think I'm being better about not leaving you in the dark, but it's like there's the baby and there's April's custody arrangement. They're completely separate topics."

"You haven't been shutting me out," Lorelai acknowledged. "But they're both putting a lot of pressure on you."

"Yeah, they are," he shrugged, reaching out to rub her knee.

"What does Anna have to say about April moving back?" Lorelai asked gently.

"Not much," Luke shrugged. "She gets it, she's not happy about it, but she knows April's education is what's important."

Lorelai bit her lower lip. "What exactly is she not happy about?" she asked.

"Being so far away from April," Luke said. "But actually, I talked to her this afternoon, and we did agree on something."

"Well, that's progress," Lorelai said positively.

Luke looked at her closely. "While we're going over the custody paperwork, Anna realized that if anything happens to both of us, her mom is listed as April's legal guardian. That's not exactly going to work anymore."

"Nothing's going to happen to you," Lorelai said firmly, trying to convince herself as much as him.

"I hope not," he murmured. He reached for her hand and said, "Anna and I want you to take care of April if something does."

Lorelai blinked in surprise. "What?" she asked.

"You're her stepmom, she loves you," Luke said. "And, God forbid, if something does happen, she'll be safe and well cared for with you."

"Luke, nothing's going to happen," Lorelai said, tears filling her eyes.

He offered her a sad smile. "I know you're scared of it, Lorelai, but please hear me out, okay?" he asked. At her slight nod, he said, "My mom never made it past forty, my dad didn't make it past fifty. As much as I love the idea of growing old with you, we need to be practical here too. Please do this, as a precaution, for April?"

"Of course I'll do it, Luke," she said. "I just hate the idea. It's so morbid. I remember having to do it with Rory. She cried for three days when she found the papers."

Luke looked at her carefully. "Who'd you name for her?" he asked.

"Mia," Lorelai replied. "Luke, are you sure about this? Things have been…courteous with Anna, I don't want to stir up bad blood."

"It was her idea."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"I hadn't even thought about it, honestly," Luke acknowledged with a shrug. "She'd named her mom when April was born, and that was that. But now, with her being sick, Anna realized we have to change it. She suggested you, because, well, it makes the most sense. You're already a parent to her."

"Wow," Lorelai whispered. A lot had changed in the past two years. Maybe Luke's ex-girlfriend wasn't the evil woman Lorelai had made her out to be in her head after all. "Well, of course I'll do it."

He smiled and kissed her gently. "Thank you," he expressed his gratitude in his gentle tone.

"Nothing to thank me for, I love April," Lorelai said. "Besides, nothing is going to happen, so it's a moot point."

"There are some papers you'll have to sign," he informed her.

"Good, because I've finally perfected the addition to my autograph," she said with a small smile.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she said.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she settled against him again. "So where do we stand on the whole baby thing?" he asked.

"Where do you want to stand?" she asked.

"I want to keep trying."

"Well, duh," she said. "How about we have a lot of sex but stop convincing ourselves that every time is _the_ time?"

"I think I can get on board with that."

"And consider this the last baby related conversation," Lorelai said. "If nothing's changed by the end of summer, then we can revisit it?"

"Sounds perfect," he said, trailing his fingers up and down her arm.

"Good," Lorelai said. "No more obsessing."

"What did Abby say about the dreams?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged against his shoulder. "Just that she thought they were related to my fears of not being good enough, of not giving you what you want," she replied.

"How do we get them to stop?" he asked.

"Well, she rambled something about dream journals and lucid dreaming, but it sounded kind of stupid to me," Lorelai replied.

Luke winced. "That sounds like something Liz would do," he stated.

"You love your sister."

"Doesn't mean she's not insane."

Lorelai nodded, acknowledging his point. "I've always had vivid dreams, some good, some bad," she said. "At first I thought these dreams were saying, 'hey, you're going to mess things up, don't get too used to being happy.' But now, after talking to Abby, I think they're just all my fears of not being able to give you what you want bubbling to the surface."

Luke offered her a sympathetic smile as he played with the ends of her hair. "You'll always be enough," he said. "I wish I could prove that to you."

"You are," she nodded. "I think they'll go away. It might take some time, but I don't know. I feel calmer, more relaxed about everything."

"Good," he said, standing and pulling her with him. "I'm going to take you out for dinner."

Lorelai's face lit up as she followed him inside. "Al's?" she asked hopefully.

"No."

She offered him a sly smile and tossed her head, causing her hair to flip over her shoulder. "I'll wear the blue skirt," she offered. "You know, the one that made you drop the coffee pot the first time you saw it."

"You wear that skirt, we're not getting any further than the staircase," he told her.

"Fine, no skirt," Lorelai sighed dramatically. "We haven't been to Al's in forever! I really want Chinese tonight, please, please, please, Luke?"

He rolled his eyes and picked up his keys. "Get your shoes on," he said.

She smiled happily and leaned forward to kiss him. "You're my favorite husband," she informed him.

He smiled down at her. "I'm eating at Al's, you owe me a day of no caffeine," he said.

Lorelai contemplated for a moment before she nodded. "Deal." With a smirk, she headed for the stairs.

Luke had no idea that she'd hidden two tubs of coffee on the shelf in Rory's closet.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for all the great reviews! Happy reading!**

* * *

"Hey, I'm ready," Lorelai informed Luke as he walked into their bedroom three weeks later. "I condensed my bag and everything."

"About time," he muttered as he looked at the suitcase resting on the bed. "Is that it?"

"Yep," Lorelai acknowledged with a proud smile. "Just that and my carry on."

Luke gave her an impressed nod. "You've come along way since that damn backpack you made me drive back to your house," he commented.

Lorelai shrugged as she slid a book into her purse. "Things change," she admitted. "Plus, April told me there's lots of good shopping in New Mexico, so I'd be prepared to buy another suitcase while we're there."

"You do realize that's not the point of this trip, right?" he asked.

"Right, I know, we're going to cheer her on at the science competition thing," Lorelai nodded. She smiled as he lifted her suitcase off the bed. "I'm just going to ask one more time…"

"Don't," he said, glancing over his shoulder as he hoisted the bag down the stairs. "April wants you there. _I_ want you there."

"I know that," Lorelai said. "But we'll be on Anna's turf. I don't want to intrude."

He sighed as he stopped on the front porch and turned to look at her. "You're not an intrusion, you're my wife. April's stepmom. We've come a long way," he told her.

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest and stared stubbornly at the ground. "We have, yeah," she said. "And I guess Anna has too. But she and I haven't actually seen each other since…before. What if she sees me and gets some sort of reminder of why she hated me in the first place?"

"Then you and I will go have a nice dinner out on the town and go to April's presentation tomorrow," Luke shrugged. "We don't need to spend every second with Anna."

"You're going to see her."

"No, _we're_ going to see _April,"_ Luke said. "I really think things will be different, but if Anna's not being nice we'll just do our own thing."

"Okay," Lorelai sighed. He offered her arm a squeeze before he dragged her suitcase down the porch steps and placed it in the bed of his truck beside his own, much smaller, suitcase. Lorelai checked to make sure the front door was locked, then slid into his car beside him. "Do you think Paul Anka will be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Luke nodded. "Babette was excited when I dropped him off."

"Babette's excited when the mail gets dropped off," Lorelai countered. "Maybe I should have left one of my sweaters so he won't forget me."

"We'll be for three days," Luke said. "He'll be fine."

"I know," Lorelai sighed. She watched as Stars Hollow's picturesque landscape began to evolve into Hartford's more urban setting outside the window. "When we get back it will be my birthday week."

He frowned as he looked at her. "Really?" he asked sarcastically. "I had no idea."

She giggled and reached out to smack his arm. "I've been working on your list," she said.

"What list?"

"Hi, just because we're married doesn't mean you get out of your five hours," Lorelai replied.

He rolled his eyes. "That's not fair, I've been fixing stuff around the house since we moved in," he countered.

"Which is exactly why this list entails an entirely different kind of manual labor," Lorelai informed him, a glimmer in her eyes.

Luke glanced at her, suddenly curious to see this new list. "Anything you want to share?" he asked.

"Nope," she shook her head with a giggle. As they began to approach the airport she asked, "Are you nervous?"

"About what?" Luke asked.

Lorelai tiled her head to the side. "Your first plane trip," she said.

"This isn't my first plane trip."

She frowned. "When have you ever flown anywhere?" she asked.

Luke's jaw clenched, then he said quietly, "I flew to Vancouver before that cruise."

"Oh," Lorelai said. "Right." She sometimes forgot that she wasn't the only one who'd stumbled into a spontaneous mistake of a marriage before this real one.

"Plus I traveled a bit before my dad got sick," Luke shrugged.

"You did?" she asked. It was amazing to her that she could still learn things about her husband.

"Yeah, I spent a summer before college touring baseball stadiums," Luke replied.

"You went to _college?"_ Lorelai asked in astonishment. She was beginning to feel like an idiot for not knowing these basic details about her own husband.

He shook his head and pulled into the parking garage. "Just a year," he said. "Never graduated, had too much going on at home."

"Oh," Lorelai nodded. She could deduce he'd dropped out to take care of his dad. "Where'd you go?"

"Connecticut College," he replied. "I was going to study sports management. I wanted to work for the Red Sox one day."

She shook her head slightly. "I had no idea," she said.

He offered her a smile as he pulled into a parking space and shut off the engine. "Got to keep some of the mystery alive, right?" he asked.

"I guess," Lorelai said. "Well, this is completely anticlimactic!"

"Why?" he asked, handing her bag to her.

"I thought I was going to get to experience your first flight," Lorelai sighed. "Now I know you're an expert, so I'll have to find new ways to entertain myself on the plane."

Luke sighed as they walked into the airport. "I hate flying."

"Oh, I bet you have a plane rant!" Lorelai exclaimed, tapping his shoulder excitedly. "Do your plane rant!"

"Let's just try to get through security without being violated," he grumbled as he led her to the check in counter.

"This is the first time I'm going to use my new license," Lorelai reported as she slipped the card out of her wallet.

Luke turned to offer her a smile. "I still don't understand how you got such a good picture," he said, taking the card for examination.

"I took a page out of my mother's book and brought my own camera guys," Lorelai explained.

"You didn't." Luke paused. "Did you?"

"No," Lorelai giggled. "But I did go to Sephora and pretended I was going to buy their most expensive foundation so they'd give me a free make up trial."

"That, I believe," Luke replied. He smiled down at his own last name printed on her license for another moment before he handed it back to her.

"How come we never went on a honeymoon?" Lorelai asked as they inched towards the counter.

"I told you, this summer we'll take the boat out," Luke replied.

"Yeah, but that's like…a normal thing," Lorelai shrugged. "We did that last summer."

"I have a plan."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him. "Is this some sort of kidnapping plan?" she asked.

"Yeah, I always have to drag you onto the boat against your will," he said sarcastically.

"It's my boat too now," she reminded him. She offered the desk attendant a smile as they stepped forward. As she handed him her license she offered, "I'll sign any papers you need me to."

Luke sighed as he handed over his own ID, and the clerk gave Lorelai a confused stare. "Usually we just take your bags and give you your tickets."

"Yeah, but if you need a signature, I'm your girl," Lorelai continued. "I've got a great new name."

"We're good, thanks," the clerk said.

Lorelai frowned and crossed her arms over her chest as their bags were weighed. Luke nodded his thanks as he accepted their tickets, then led Lorelai towards security. "You don't need to announce it to everyone," he murmured into her ear.

She shot him a look as she balanced on his arm, unzipping her boots. "I seem to remember you yelling at the poor temporary mailman because mail came to the house in my old name the week after our wedding," she said.

Luke's face tightened. "That wasn't because it was addressed to Lorelai Gilmore," he said flatly.

"Then who was it addressed to?"

He ran a hand over his face. "Lorelai _Hayden."_

"What?" Lorelai asked, turning to look at him. "What was it?"

"Some dumb magazine," Luke shrugged. "I threw it out, couldn't stand the sight of it."

Lorelai frowned, wracking her brain about what could possibly have been addressed to her with Christopher's name. Changing her name had never even crossed her mind during her brief first marriage. "I don't know where that came from," she promised. "I was never going to…"

"Move it along!"

Luke snapped to attention at the order of the security officer, and Lorelai watched as he stepped through the x-ray machine. His jaw was set as he was waved through, collected his belongings, and sat down to put his shoes back on. She quietly did the same, wondering if she should push the matter or let it go. When her boots were zipped into place and her purse was slung over her shoulder, she stood to meet Luke's gaze evenly.

"I don't know why that came," she said quietly. "I never even thought about it, really."

"I know," he said. "It's not your fault, I'm not mad. I just don't like even thinking about it."

"I know you don't," Lorelai said quietly. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head and reached for her hand, tugging her out of the busy security area. "It's forgotten," he said. "There are just…insecurities that pop up sometimes, you know?"

"Trust me, I know," Lorelai said, taking a shaky breath. "I'm really nervous about this, Luke."

"I know you are," he murmured. "But nothing's going to change. Anna's okay with you, really. She's had over two years to realize you're not going to steal April away."

"Just don't leave me alone with her?" Lorelai requested. "I hate sounding needy or clingy or whatever, but…please?"

"Don't have to ask me twice," Luke promised.

"Good," Lorelai said. She glanced at the departure board and nodded. "Twenty minutes until boarding, that means we have time to find coffee!"

Luke trudged after her, wondering what he'd gotten himself into. He loved Lorelai, but he was starting to question what he'd been thinking when he'd volunteered to sit beside her for six hours in an enclosed space with very little to do.

He hoped the playing cards and Red Vines he'd stashed in his own carry on would be enough to keep her happy.

XXXXX

"Oh, thank God we're off that plane," Lorelai sighed, holding her arms out and spinning in a slow circle in the middle of the airport as they deboarded the plane in New Mexico. "I was seriously bored."

"I had no idea," Luke said sarcastically.

She frowned as she turned to look at him. "It was a long flight!" she defended herself.

"You were complaining of boredom before we flew over New York," Luke said, striding ahead of her. "It takes longer to get to your parents' house than it did for you to start whining."

"I didn't hear you complaining over Kansas when we had our little meet and greet in the bathroom," Lorelai smirked.

"Yeah, that worked well."

She shrugged. "It looks easier in the movies," she said. She reached for his hand and looked up at him with a smile. "I'm glad you're excited. This is nice, a new adventure together."

He offered her a smile as they approached the exit. "Yeah," he said. "It is."

As they walked through the security checkpoint, Luke dropped her hand to embrace a waiting April tightly. She hugged him back eagerly, practically bouncing as she told him how excited she was to have them there. As Luke planted a kiss to the top of April's head, Lorelai could feel someone staring at her, and she looked beyond the reunion to see Anna standing several yards away. She swallowed hard and plastered what Luke called her fake smile across her face before she offered a small wave.

"Hi Lorelai!" April cried, hurrying from Luke's arms to Lorelai's. Lorelai relaxed as she wrapped her arms around her stepdaughter. She hadn't seen her since two days after the wedding, and she'd missed the teenager more than she'd realized.

"Hey, sweetie, you look beautiful!" Lorelai said. "Inspection!"

April smiled as she stood up straight for Lorelai's inquisitive eye. As Lorelai circled around her, she commented, "You're growing up. Stop it!"

"Sorry, can't help it," April relaxed. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Well, it's not every day a member of the family gets a fancy science award," Lorelai replied. "Plus, your dad was going crazy without seeing you."

"I missed you guys too," April affirmed.

Lorelai took a deep breath as she and April walked over to where Anna and Luke were exchanging pleasantries. Anna offered Lorelai a small smile. "Hi, Lorelai."

"Hi," Lorelai answered, tucking her hair behind her ears as she looked down at her feet. "Um, thanks for getting us tickets to the ceremony."

"Of course," Anna commented with a nod. She wrapped her arm around April and said, "This one's dying to show you her room, but I can drop you off at your hotel first, if you want to settle in."

Luke glanced down at Lorelai, who shrugged. "Up to you."

With a nod towards April he asked, "What do you think, kid?"

"Come see our house!" April pleaded. "I'm so excited for you to see it!"

Luke nodded. "We can head to the hotel later," he nodded.

"You've seen one, you've seen them all," Lorelai agreed.

"Yay!" April cried. After they'd collected their bags, April looped her arm through Luke's and chatted all about the events she had planned for the day. Anna charged ahead, and Lorelai trailed after them, watching as April rested her head on Luke's shoulder while they walked. She wondered if it was growing up without him or having been separated from him for so long that made April latch onto him. Lorelai noticed the almost childlike way April clung to her father, and marveled at how natural it seemed. Which, she supposed, made sense.

When they reached the car, April slipped into the backseat and Luke offered Lorelai a nod. "Sit with her," he encouraged, holding the back door open.

Lorelai glanced into the car and asked, "Are you sure?"

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "Positive," he nodded. "The two of you can cancel each other out with your yammering."

She giggled and slipped into the backseat beside April. As she reached to buckle her seatbelt she briefly caught Anna's gaze in the mirror. Anna quickly made work of turning the car on, and Lorelai turned to April, asking a question about the science award and wondering whether she'd gotten herself in over her head with this.

An hour later, Lorelai was perched on the end of April's bed, looking around her room. April was showing Luke the collection of arrowheads she'd collected during a science field trip, but Lorelai was only half listening as she took the time to admire how very _April_ the room seemed. The walls were a soft lavender, but the rug and bedspread were turquoise. Book were piled on top of the desk and dresser, and Lorelai couldn't help but smile when she saw the pictures that were shoved into the corners of the mirror. A few were of April and Anna, most were of April with nameless other teenage faces, but the picture that drew Lorelai's attention was the familiar one from her own mantel of their perfect family of four during her wedding. With a smile, Lorelai recognized her own face beaming up from another picture, during their mini golf outing the summer before. It was the first real day she and April had spent together, and it touched her to know that April remembered that day just as fondly as she did.

"Oh, I should show you the backyard!" April exclaimed, breaking into Lorelai's train of thought. "It has a sun dial!"

"Sure," Lorelai nodded. "I'll meet you there in a minute."

"You okay?" Luke asked, reaching out to touch her arm gently.

"Yeah, just call of nature," Lorelai said, slipping towards the bathroom.

Luke nodded, then turned to follow April. With the door closed behind her, Lorelai splashed some water on her face and then looked at her reflection in the mirror. "You can do this," she murmured. "For Luke."

Realistically, Lorelai knew that things were better with April's mother. Gone was the woman who'd judged her without knowing her, and in her place was a quiet, but inviting, woman who had welcomed her ex-boyfriend's wife into her home with courtesy. Lorelai had been touched by Anna's request that she be named April's emergency legal guardian, but she still couldn't shake the fact that Anna had been a huge rock that had fallen on her first, fragile relationship with Luke.

"You're not made of glass anymore," Lorelai reminded herself. "You're a damn lead brick, rocks can't shake you."

With a final sigh of determination, Lorelai pulled the door open and stepped into the quiet house. She could see Luke and April through the sliding glass door, but as she walked through the living room, she stopped to examine the pictures hanging on the wall.

April had been a beautiful baby; Luke hadn't been lying about her pictures. Lorelai smiled softly at a picture of Anna and April on what was presumably April's second birthday. Anna was crouching beside her daughter, a wide smile stretched across her face, and Lorelai knew that she and Rory had a very similar one at home.

Lorelai frowned when she saw another picture, of Anna and April standing outside Anna's store in Connecticut. In this picture, Lorelai was drawn to Anna's features as she smiled for the camera. For the first time, she was noticing how strikingly similar they looked. The shiny black hair, the blue eyes, even the way Anna was holding April close to her, were all similar to Lorelai's own features and mannerisms. She wasn't sure why, but it unnerved her.

"Can I get you anything?"

Lorelai was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Anna's voice from behind her. "Oh, no thanks," she said automatically, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked down at the floor.

"April's so happy you're here," Anna offered.

Lorelai smiled as she glanced over her shoulder to where April was showing Luke some sort of plant contraption. "Luke's glad to be here," she said. "He's been looking forward to seeing where she's lived all this time."

Anna nodded, but her gaze shifted back to Lorelai. "He seems really happy," she commented.

"I think he is."

"That's good, he deserves that." Anna sighed deeply and said, "Our situation doesn't have to be weird."

Lorelai took her olive branch and lowered her arms. "I don't want it to be," she admitted. "I mean, we're all here for April, we're never not going to be involved with each other."

"You're right," Anna said. "I um…I wanted to thank you. For everything you did to help April get into Chilton. She never would have been able to do that without your input."

"That was all Rory," Lorelai said. "Trust me, I wasn't exactly a private school success story."

"Well, regardless, the only reason I'm so comfortable letting April be so far away is I know you and Luke will take good care of her," Anna said. "I know I said and did horrible things, but I hope we can put that behind us. Because you're right, we're all going to be here for April forever. We might as well be…friendly about it."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "I think that's a strong possibility," she said. "April's amazing, Anna, you've done a wonderful job with her."

"Thanks," Anna said, her gaze softening as she looked through the glass door at her daughter. "She's the best thing I've ever done."

An image of Rory walking across the stadium to receive her Yale diploma flashed through Lorelai's mind, and she nodded. "I get it," she said.

The door slid open and Luke followed April inside, his eyes apologetic as they met Lorelai's. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, hoping he could tell she wasn't pretending. "Just swapping motherly war stories."

Surprise registered across his face for a moment, but then he nodded, examining her face closely for any signs of distress. Finding none, he offered her a grateful smile.

"We're going for tacos tonight," April announced. "There's a great place downtown, near your hotel."

"Sounds perfect," Lorelai said, then turned to Luke with a smirk. "We'll see if it gets your dad's seal of approval."

"I'm not that bad."

"You once made us leave a restaurant because they didn't bake their tortillas on the premise," Loreali argued.

"You can't use the prepackaged ones!"

"Well, not everyone has the Luke Danes gift of tortilla baking," Lorelai replied.

"And not everyone will eat anything that's placed in front of them."

She gasped. "Excuse me, I have my limits!" she exclaimed.

"Right, I forgot fruits and vegetables are never an option," he rolled his eyes.

"Completely useless foods that taste disgusting and fill up valuable stomach space," Lorelai replied, her eyes beginning to sparkle.

"They also keep you healthy…"

As Luke and Lorelai continued to banter back and forth, April rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, cracking open a book and ignoring her father and stepmother. Anna watched the couple closely before she sat down next to her daughter. "Is this normal?" she asked.

April glanced up from her book, noting the way Lorelai's eyes were dancing and the way her father's face was one of annoyance, though a was smile trying to fight its way across his face.

"Then you shouldn't have given me a turkey burger!" Lorelai was saying.

"All the decaf, Lorelai!" he insisted. "It was a new shipment!"

April turned to her mother and nodded. "Seems about right," she said.

Anna nodded and watched the couple before her closely. It was clear that through all their bantering, they were both very much infatuated with each other. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "I can get us some lemonade if you're thirsty," she said. "We've got an hour or so before our dinner reservation."

Luke and Lorelai both seemed to snap back to reality, and April smirked at their faces. Lorelai looked somewhat guilty, and her father's face turned red the way it always did when he was embarrassed.

"That sounds great, Anna, thanks," he murmured.

When she disappeared into the kitchen, April turned to look at them. "You really should let that coffee thing go, Dad," she said. "It was pretty dumb to think Lorelai wouldn't taste the difference in a turkey burger."

Lorelai shot Luke a triumphant smile. "We all know Rory's on my side on this too," she said. "You're outnumbered, hon."

He rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch, grumbling under his breath and causing both April and Lorelai to giggle. "Don't worry, I'll forgive you if you forgive me," she said, sitting down beside him.

His eyes softened as he looked at her. "Deal," he said, reaching out to rest his hand on her knee.

"Here we go," Anna said, coming back into the room with a tray of glasses in her hand. She set it on the table and took a seat beside April, eyeing Luke's hand as she did so.

Lorelai caught Anna's gaze and almost felt sad for her. She could remember how hard it had been to see Christopher with Sherry all those years ago, and that relationship had been nowhere near as strong as her current marriage to Luke. This must have been incredibly difficult for Anna.

Shifting to switch her legs into a crossed position and effectively shoving his hand off her leg, Lorelai offered Luke a quick smile as she asked April, "So what are the chances of finding time to shop this weekend?"

XXXXX

Lorelai looked up from the hotel's welcome book when Luke slid into bed beside her later that night. "You actually read those things?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's like being a secret shopper," she confided. "Sometimes I can get tips for the Dragonfly. Or, more frequently, I realize what we _shouldn't_ do."

"Got it," Luke nodded. He watched her for a moment before he commented, "Things weren't too bad today, were they?"

"No," Lorelai conceded, closing the book and putting it on the bedside table before she turned to look at him. "Anna was almost…nice."

Luke nodded as he ran a hand over her thigh. "I'm sorry I broke my promise," he disclosed. "I didn't realize she'd cornered you."

"She didn't corner me," Lorelai replied. "We actually had what bordered on a civil conversation."

Luke nodded slowly. "So why were you pretending all afternoon?" he asked. At her shocked expression, he reached out to push her hair over her shoulder. "Give me a little credit, Lorelai. I've always known when you were pretending. I've just stopped letting you get away with it."

"I know," she sighed. She looked at a spot on the wall beyond him for a moment before she said, "We're a lot alike."

"Who?" he asked.

"Me and Anna."

He raised his eyebrows, then shook his head. "No, you're not," he objected.

"Luke, you can admit it, I'm not going to get mad," she said. "The hair, the eyes. She's me. Or I'm her, I guess, since she knew you first."

"Well, first, you're way more attractive than she is."

Lorelai smiled. "Quick acknowledgement of my beauty noted," she confirmed with a nod.

"And maybe you look…similar, but the comparison ends there," he murmured. "She was…I don't know, she was someone to keep me company at a time when I had no one. I met her about a year after my dad died, and I was still pretty much a mess. Rachel had left right after his funeral, and Liz had disappeared again. I'd lost everyone important to me in the world, and Anna was…there."

Lorelai frowned. She hated to think of Luke so scared and alone. It was strange that he went through all that pain just a few miles down the road from her, while she'd been changing sheets at the Independence Inn.

"Her dad had died recently too, so…I don't know, I guess we were just there to give each other some sort of comfort," Luke continued. With a sad sigh, he admitted, "April was the result of two lonely people, trying to find a way to feel again. We broke up pretty much right after the diner opened. It was amicable, we both just realized that we'd never loved each other. You know the rest."

"I'm sorry," Lorelai whispered. "I hate thinking about you being so alone."

He shrugged and offered her a side smile. "It was only a year or so later that an annoying woman breezed into my life," he said teasingly.

Lorelai smiled slightly, but admitted, "I guess that's what scares me. Anna and I look alike, what if the only reason you noticed me was because I reminded you of her?"

Luke was quiet for a moment before he shook his head. "No, that wasn't it," he said. "Anna was…a step in the healing process of losing my dad. She was there and it was fine, we had some good times, but I'd never have woken up in the middle of the night to fix her hot water heater or made her disgusting food to cheer her up. Just like she never teased me and made me feel special at the same time, or encouraged me to shake up my routine and do something spontaneous."

A blush crept across Lorelai's cheeks. "You mean like the time we did dirty, dirty things in the lake during the 4th of July Fireworks?" she asked.

He laughed slightly, rubbing her leg through the blankets. "Exactly," he said. "I never loved her. Not the way I should have. I don't regret her because of April, but it wasn't ever going to work."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "I get that," she said softly. "I wish I'd accepted it sooner."

"It's okay to feel conflicted about him," Luke said gently. "You know how I feel about the guy, but when it comes down to it, he helped bring Rory into the world. He was your first love."

"He was," Lorelai murmured, wondering how far she could push this conversation. "But I was fifteen, Luke. I mistook love for…similar disdain for our parents' lifestyle. And then Rory came along and I guess I felt like I _had_ to love him, for her sake." She glanced at Luke, and when she saw that he was listening without a hint of anger or hurt, she continued. "He didn't even hold her when she was born. I mean, I'd turned down his proposal because I knew it wouldn't work out, but I still remember being shocked when he refused to hold Rory. He came to see us in the hospital, watched her through the nursery window for five minutes, and then he left. He took the SATs and went to prom and graduated, then spent years traveling the world. He kept trying to pull himself together, but he never quite could do it." She shook her head slightly and said, "God, I should have listened to my sixteen year old self in when I was in Paris. She may have gotten knocked up, but she was at least realistic about that relationship."

"I'm still amazed at how brave you were, to run away without a plan," Luke whispered.

Realizing she'd never told anyone, not even Rory, the catalyst of why she'd run away, Lorelai cleared her throat before she spoke again. "It was March," she whispered. "Rory was starting to crawl, and she had been laughing for a few months. She was so perfect, and I just wanted to spend all my time with her, watching her, playing with her, reading to her. But my parents would have none of that. My mom had been trying to control everything. The only real control I had was feeding Rory. Those moments, just the two of us, were so perfect. No one could take that away from us, because I was the only person who could do it. I refused to stop breast feeding, I didn't want to give up those precious moments alone with her. Anyway, this one afternoon, in March, my dad was at work and my mom was out at some lunch thing, and it started to snow. I'd always loved snow, even back then, so I bundled Rory up on the snowsuit I'd sewn for her. She was perfectly warm, she had a hat and mittens, and even tiny baby boots on. I brought her outside to the backyard, and we sat in the garden, just watching the snow and I showed her how to catch snowflakes. She was so happy, I can still hear her giggling in that moment. It was probably going to be the last snow of the season, and I wanted to enjoy it. But then my mom came home early and saw us outside. She kept telling me how irresponsible it was, and how Rory was going to get sick and I had no idea what it took to be a mother. I probably had some words of my own, but it was the last straw. For months I'd been hearing these ridiculous comments. 'Lorelai, you're not dressing her properly,' 'Lorelai, if you kiss her she's going to get sick,' 'Lorelai, you need to bring Rory to see Christopher because he's too busy to come here.' Finally I'd had enough. I waited until they were getting ready for some sort of party the next night, put Rory in her stroller, and got on a bus as far as it would take me. I got off in town square, in front of your dad's store, I guess, and went to Fran's. She brought me to Mia."

He shook his head slightly, a look of wonder on his face. "Every day," he breathed. "I still marvel at how brave you were for doing that. Not even seventeen and on your own in the world with a baby."

"I had to do it," Lorelai insisted. "God, if Rory had been brought up in that world, it would have been so horrible. She wouldn't be…Rory."

"I'm glad you did it," Luke said softly. He paused, then said, "I bet I was in the store when you got off the bus."

Lorelai smiled softly. "I never thought about that," she admitted. "Good thing I didn't sweep into the hardware store in a caffeine frenzy, huh? You would have seen the teenager with the baby and headed for the hills."

"I don't think so," Luke said. "I'm sure Rory had the Rory look down even that young."

Lorelai giggled, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "That she did."

Luke leaned forward to kiss her. "You're _you,_ Lorelai," he said. "You know I love you."

"I do," she admitted. "It's just been weird being here, seeing Anna again. But I think we're past everything that happened. She seems…calmer."

"She does," Luke agreed. "It's been nice, seeing where April's spent so much time."

"Yeah, it has been," Lorelai agreed.

"I'm really proud of her," Luke confessed.

"I know you are," she said. "I am too. She's a special kid."

"I can't wait to have her with us," Luke said. "I know it will change our life a bit, but I've always been…her secondary parent, you know? I'm excited to have her around all the time, to not have to have one of us spend an entire day flying just to see each other."

Lorelai smiled. "It will be nice," she agreed. "I don't think I ever realized how spoiled I was, with Rory. I had her all to myself for eighteen years and I took it for granted. We had so many wonderful years together. I wish you'd had a chance to have that with April."

"Me too," Luke sighed. "But…" his voice trailed off and he shook his head.

Lorelai tilted her head to the side as she regarded him curiously. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Luke replied. They'd limited their discussions of their efforts to have a baby over the past month, and he wasn't sure whether he should bring it up or not. Lorelai's pregnancy test the previous week had been negative, but not for a lack of trying.

"Luke," she sighed, reaching to stroke a hand over his cheek. "It's me."

He sighed and hooked a finger through one of the button holes on the flannel she was wearing. "But…I'll have that with our kid," he said.

Hope and fear both washed over Lorelai's face, and she leaned over to kiss him. "You will," she promised.

He kissed her one more time before he turned the light out and they both settled into the pillows. "Am I a horrible father if I dread how boring the parts without April are going to be tomorrow?" Luke asked her into the darkness.

Lorelai giggled as she settled onto her side. "Get used to it, Chilton Dad," she said. "You're going to have to go to all kinds of boring stuff at that place. I once had to listen to Paris give an hour and a half speech about corrupt politics in America so I could see Rory get sworn in as class vice president. Even my mom was bored."

"Damn our kids for being so smart."

"Go to sleep, Cool Hand, tomorrow we can celebrate April."

XXXXX

Anna Nardini was glad for a chance to celebrate. For nearly two years, she'd been taking care of her sick mother and slowly accepting the fact that her daughter was growing up, no longer needing her in the way she had in the past.

Today, in a convention center conference room in downtown Albuquerque, Anna could feel her heart swelling with pride as she watched her daughter stand before her science display, speaking with ease to a set of scholarly adults with ease and confidence. April had always been interested in science, but it was becoming more and more apparent every day that this was her daughter's future, not just a hobby.

It killed her that April would have to return to Connecticut without her to pursue that dream.

With a small smile, Anna turned towards the corner of the room where the refreshments were set up. She still had a little time before the presentations started, and she'd sat through enough of these events to know that it would be helpful to have some coffee and a bottle of water on hand to get through the endless slew of speeches. Although she always loved watching April's involvement, it was sometimes painful to sit through other kids talking about the human genome and the cross pollination of herbal plants.

She stopped a few yards away from the coffee station when she saw Luke step up to the dispenser, glancing over his shoulder as he filled a paper cup. A moment later, he walked to where Lorelai was placing a donut on her plate. Anna took a moment to take in how perfect Lorelai Gilmore looked, as always. Her smooth curls, black and white patterned dress, and tall black boots made her look like some sort of perfect movie star. Anna glanced down at her own red sweater and black skirt, suddenly feeling incredibly frumpy.

Lorelai was frowning as she sipped the coffee Luke had handed her, then looked around him to the two identical, stainless steel coffee dispensers. Although Anna couldn't hear what they were saying, she could see Lorelai gasp and point accusingly towards the coffee. Luke, in turn, gestured to the coffee cup in her hand and then reached for Lorelai's free hand. She seemed to give in as he spoke, and a small smile stretched across her lips at whatever he was saying to her.

After a moment, Lorelai sighed and took the cup, her nose wrinkling as she sipped at it. Luke leaned closer and brushed her hair off her shoulder, offering her an affectionate smile as he did so. Anna was slightly amazed at the sight. Luke had never been one to show affection in public, at least not with her. It was obvious he'd changed a lot over the past sixteen years.

Anna took a deep breath when Lorelai's eyes landed on her and offered her a small wave. Luke's gaze followed hers, and he smiled politely in her direction as well. Anna started to walk towards them, and smiled slightly when she stood in front of them. "Morning," she said.

"Hi, Anna," Lorelai replied. "Where's April?"

"Already charming the judges," Anna said, pointing to where April was standing in front of the stage.

"Wow, she really doesn't mess around," Lorelai commented.

Luke's eyes had softened as they landed on April from across the room. "She didn't get that from me," he commented.

"Me either," Anna laughed.

"Must have skipped a generation," Luke shrugged. "She reminds me of my mom."

Anna tilted her head to the side as she regarded his comment. She'd never met either of Luke's parents, and she'd never heard him talk about his mother before. It was strange to think of such a strong part of April's heritage being completely unknown to her.

"So should we find seats?" Lorelai asked. "If my experience as a Chilton mom taught me anything, it's that seating is critical at these things. You want to be on an aisle, but not too close in case they ask for audience participation."

Luke gestured to the rows of folding chairs set up. The three of them settled into seats in the fifth row, Anna on the aisle with Luke between the two of them.

"I should be taking notes," Lorelai commented as she flipped through the program.

"Why do you need to take notes?" Luke asked.

"So that when April starts at Chilton I'll be able to know what the hell is going on," Lorelai commented. "Give me your pen."

Luke shot her a look. "Have you really not learned that I don't carry a pen?" he asked.

"Have you really not _started_ carrying a pen after the amount of times we've had this argument?" she replied. She shoved her coffee into his hands and requested, "Hold this."

As she dug through her purse, Luke commented, "With all the crap you have in there, you don't have a pen?" he asked.

"Who knows," Lorelai shrugged, her hand buried in the depths of her purse and coming up with nothing. With a frustrated sigh, she took her coffee back and said, "I'll see if I can track one down. Can I get either of you anything?"

Anna shook her head, slightly overwhelmed by the speed at which Lorelai functioned. "No, I'm good, Lorelai, thanks," she said.

"Okay," Lorelai nodded before she turned to Luke. "Cool Hand?"

"I'm okay," he nodded.

"I'll be back," Lorelai announced, sliding past them before she disappeared into the crowd in search of a pen.

Luke offered Anna a nervous smile, and she noticed the immediate awkwardness that had fallen upon the two of them. How strange it was that Lorelai's absence made things _more_ awkward between her and the father of her daughter.

"You're happy," she finally observed, looking at him closely.

Luke glanced up at her from where he'd been flipping through the program. "Yeah," he admitted with a nod. "I am."

"I've never given you enough credit," Anna observed softly. "When we were together, when I got pregnant, or when April found you. I never thought you'd be this guy, happily married and willingly sitting through a science awards ceremony for his kid."

"It's for April," Luke pointed out dismissively.

"It's not just her that's changed you," Anna observed. "I mean, you're a great father, Luke, I can't argue that. But it's Lorelai. She's made you better, more rounded. And she's been nothing but kind and welcoming to April, which is all I should ever have wanted."

Luke smiled slightly. "She loves April," he remarked.

"She understands you," Anna continued, looking down at her hands. "She makes you happy. I never could have been that person for you."

Luke sighed. "Look, Anna, it's not that I knew it at the time…"

"It's okay," she said. "I know you were hurting back then."

"I was," he admitted, looking towards April. "So were you. But we did do something pretty great together, didn't we?"

Anna turned to look at April, a smile coming over her features. "Take care of her, okay?" she requested gently. "I'm going to miss her."

Luke nodded slowly. "I can imagine," he admitted. He'd missed April terribly when she was away, but he knew it was different for Anna. She'd never been separated from their daughter for more than a couple weeks. "I promise we'll take good care of her."

"I know," Anna confirmed. She shook her head slightly as she continued to look at April. "I'm amazed by her sometimes."

"Me too," Luke admitted. "It's hard to believe she's going to be in high school."

"You're telling me," Anna sighed. "Just yesterday she was starting kindergarten."

Anna snuck a glance at Luke as he watched April explain her presentation. His face was one of complete pride, and Anna knew, as much as she was going to miss April, it would be okay. Luke wouldn't let anything happen to her.

XXXXX

Lorelai turned over in bed late that night, automatically reaching for Luke in her half asleep state. When her hand met nothing but cool sheets, Lorelai sat up and turned to look at the clock. The unfamiliar red numbers glowed 2:14, and it took her a moment to realize that she was not at home in their bedroom, but in a hotel in New Mexico. With a frown, Lorelai glanced towards the bathroom door as it clicked open.

"You okay?" she squinted at Luke through the harsh light streaming in from the bathroom.

"Yeah, sorry," he said with a sigh. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," she said. She tilted her head to the side as he slid into bed beside her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"Luke," she sighed, reaching for the bedside light. "It works both ways, you know. I can tell when you're upset."

"I'm fine."

"Luke."

He sighed and turned from his side to his back, looking up at her. "I don't want to worry you," he admitted.

"Hi, I'm already worried, so you might as well just tell me," Lorelai said. "Otherwise I'll just talk so you can't fall asleep. Have you realized how ridiculously small the shampoo bottles are in this hotel? I need six of them just to get my hair clean, otherwise with the humidity in this state, people will think you're walking around with Diana Ross, which would be really bad for me, because you'd get addicted to all the fame and fortune, and then when my hair goes back to normal you'll be so accustomed…"

"Okay," Luke interrupted her. "I give."

Lorelai stopped talking and looked at him expectantly.

"I had a dream," Luke admitted.

"What kind of dream?" Lorelai asked.

He sighed as he waved a hand absently through the air. "I guess it could be qualified as a bad one," he admitted.

"How bad?" Lorelai asked.

After a long pause, Luke murmured. "Similar to the ones you've had," he murmured. "Cars being wrapped around poles, ambulance lights, that kind of thing."

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai sighed. He'd spent months comforting her after similar dreams, and she reached out to pull him into her arms, wanting to offer him the same kind of consolation. "We're quite a pair, huh? As soon as they stop for me, they start for you."

"It was just one," he murmured into her shoulder. He was quiet as he traced a finger over her collarbone. "I was with my mom, in the car."

"What?" Lorelai asked.

"In the backseat," Luke confirmed. "I was twelve, she was bringing me back from hockey practice. I can still see the ambulance lights and feel how mad I was that they didn't get there five minutes earlier."

Tears filled Lorelai's eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"This dream, it was weird," Luke murmured. "I was there, watching the paramedics try to get her free. It was like a memory, but then I blinked and it wasn't her anymore. It was you."

Lorelai pressed a kiss to the top of his head before she smoothed a hand over his back. "It's okay," she whispered.

"I'll be okay," Luke promised.

"I know how upsetting it is," Lorelai whispered. "I hate that you have to feel that way."

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm tighter around her stomach. "Don't let go?" he requested.

"You got it," she promised. She reached to turn the light out and then ran a hand up and down his arm. "I love you."

She could feel Luke's lips against her neck in a warm kiss. "I love you too."

"Can I do anything?" she asked softly.

"You're doing it," Luke assured her.

XXXXX

The following morning, Lorelai was waiting in the lobby when April and Anna arrived for breakfast. She offered them a smile and a wave, returning the hug April gave her as soon as she was close enough.

"How's my favorite scientist doing this morning?" Lorelai asked with a warm smile. "That shiny medal they gave you blinded you yet?"

"Not yet, I make sure to wear sunglasses when I look directly at it," April replied.

"Good girl," Lorelai laughed. "Hi, Anna."

"Morning," Anna replied politely.

"Where's Dad?" April asked, looking around the lobby.

Lorelai tried to keep the worry off her face with a bright smile. "Oh, you know him, he can't be seen in public until he's properly groomed," she dismissed. "He'll be down in a minute."

April looked at her suspiciously, then nodded. "Okay," she said.

"We had breakfast here yesterday, it was pretty good," Lorelai admitted as she led Anna and April to the dining room. "Not as good as my favorite diner, but beggars can't be choosers. Be sure to swipe some biscuits for the road."

Ten minutes later, when coffee was poured and breakfast had been ordered, Lorelai asked, "What's the plan for today?"

"I was thinking of showing you some of the sights downtown," April said. "The natural history museum is really cool, and there are some Navajo excavation sites that are quite interesting."

Lorelai tried to plaster a smile on her face. "Sounds great," she said.

Anna waited until April was distracted by reading the nutrition facts on the back of the menu before she leaned towards Lorelai. "Don't worry, both places have great shopping nearby," she reassured.

"Oh, thank god," Lorelai relaxed. "It wouldn't be a vacation without spending some of Luke's money."

"Just what I wanted to hear," his voice came from behind her, and Lorelai glanced up as his hand gently grazed her shoulder. "Morning, kid."

"Hi, Dad!" April chirped.

"Morning, Anna," Luke nodded and she smiled back in return.

"I ordered you the most boring thing on the menu," Lorelai commented. "Tea with an egg white omelet and wheat toast."

"Thanks," Luke said.

"I asked if they could make it more plain, but they said that was physically impossible," Lorelai added.

He looked at her. "Let me guess, pancakes with a side of eggs, bacon, and hash browns?"

"And plenty of coffee," Lorelai agreed, holding her cup up for proof.

He rolled his eyes, but before he could open his mouth she answered his unasked question.

"Half decaf."

"Thanks," Luke offered her a smile before he turned to April. "So what's the plan for today?"

As April launched into her plan for the day, Lorelai watched her husband closely. He'd been emotional that morning, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and watching carefully as she'd blow dried her hair and applied her make up. Although his careful gaze would have normally made her feel self conscious, his dream the night before made her waive the annoyance she would normally have felt. Luke had gone above and beyond comforting her in the aftermath of her dreams; the least she could do was let him hang out with her while she got ready for the day.

He'd been so absorbed with taking her in that by the appointed time for breakfast with April and Anna, he hadn't even showered yet. Lorelai had promised to order breakfast for him and buy him some time with his daughter and her mother while he prepared himself for the day.

Now, as Lorelai watched Luke with April, she saw no signs of the fear he'd displayed with her the night before. He'd pulled a mask on for the sake of his daughter, and she understood that. She just hoped that he really would be okay eventually. She'd finally worked through her own demons, but Luke's were starting to creep back to the surface. At this rate, she figured Abby would have a pretty nice college fund for her kids just from the two of them.

"Do you two want some time alone today?" Lorelai heard herself ask. "I can make myself scarce if need be."

Anna voiced a similar statement, but Luke had turned to Lorelai with an expression she'd never seen on his face before. Confusion, combined with hurt, and what she thought could be fear filtered through her eyes, and she could tell that no matter how normal he was acting, his dream was still very much affecting him.

"No, come with us!" April insisted. "Please, Lorelai, there's so much I want to show you! You'd love the fashion exhibit at the art gallery."

Lorelai looked at her stepdaughter and wondered if this what Luke felt like when Rory gave him what he'd dubbed the "Rory face." She turned her gaze to Luke, and was struck by how similar his eyes were to April's. It was the first time she'd noticed it.

"Of course I'll come," she said. "But if you decide you want some exclusive time with your dad, I get that too."

"I want to show you stuff too!" April insisted. "Dad totally won't care about the anthropological dig for ancient pottery."

Lorelai caught the smirk that crossed Luke's face. He knew that she cared about ancient pottery just as much as he did, but he also knew she'd go through the exhibit with April. Just like he'd let Rory drag him through the rare manuscript book collection at the Mark Twain house when she was fourteen.

"Sounds fascinating," Lorelai managed to muster up some enthusiasm. "But I think your dad would enjoy it more than you think. He's a real pottery fan."

This time it was Lorelai who offered her husband a smirk over April's head. Two could totally play this game.

Anna cleared her throat and Lorelai immediately felt guilty. She'd almost forgotten about her presence at the table. "I have to go check in on my mom," she said. "But I'll bring you guys to the museum if you want."

Lorelai wondered if she should force the matter. She could remember how uncomfortable she'd been being forced into attending Sherry's baby shower, but she also didn't want to seem like she was commandeering Anna's daughter.

Luke caught her eye and she nodded slightly. He offered her a flash of a smile before he turned to Anna. "You're welcome to join us," he said.

"Thanks, Luke, but it's okay," Anna replied. "I wasn't there at all yesterday, I have to check in today."

"I get it," Luke nodded, and Lorelai saw gratitude flash in Anna's eyes. She fought a brief feeling of jealousy. Luke and Anna may both have known what it felt like to care for a sick parent, but that didn't diminish anything about her own marriage to Luke. She had to stop being so paranoid.

Their plates arrived at that moment, and Lorelai looked up at Luke with a pout. He rolled his eyes, reached across April, and scraped her eggs to the side of her pancakes so they were no longer ogling her.

XXXXX

"I don't want you to go."

Luke sighed as he held April close. Their trip had gone too fast, and he knew April was trying to make their goodbye last as long as possible. "Just a couple months, kid," he promised. "Then you'll be sick of me."

"He's right," Lorelai tried to lighten the mood from beside them. "In six months' time, after he's chased your boyfriend down the street and gotten into a fist fight over the Bop It, you'll just be a regular teenage girl, embarrassed by her overprotective dad."

April giggled slightly from her place against Luke's chest. "It's a good thing you went through this with Rory first, now I know what to expect," she said.

"There will be no dating," Luke grumbled.

Lorelai met April's gaze and held her thumb and pointer finger together, promising that she'd convince him to allow a _little_ dating.

"I'm going to miss you," April stated, finally pulling away from Luke.

"Me too, kid," Luke stressed. "But spend some time with your mom, okay? She's got a lot going on with your grandmother, and she's going to miss you when you leave."

"I know," April sighed. "Are you sure you don't want us to pick you up in the morning?"

"No, we've got an early flight," Luke replied. "You don't have to wake up for that."

"Sure, she doesn't have to wake up, but you're willing to book a 5 AM flight without even consulting me," Lorelai sighed. She reached out to give April a hug of her own. "It will be so nice to have another girl in the house. Luke's girl talk has a severe handicap."

Luke rolled his eyes, but turned to April. "Are you sure you're okay on the bus?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Dad, I take the bus all the time," April confirmed.

"Okay," Luke acknowledged. "Call me when you get home?"

"Yes, Dad," April said with a roll of her eyes.

"I'll walk you down," Luke said.

Lorelai offered April one more hug. "I'm so proud of you, April," she said. "I'm glad I got to see you up there yesterday, giving your presentation and showing the world how brilliant you are."

April blushed as she looked down at the ground. "Thanks, Lorelai," she said. "I'm glad you came."

"Me too, sweetie," Lorelai said honestly. "We'll see you in August."

April nodded, then hugged her again. "Happy birthday week," she said.

Lorelai laughed as she hugged her back. "Thank you," she said. "It seems as though you've been talking to your sister."

"I don't know what you're talking about," April said with a knowing smile as she walked towards the door with Luke. "Bye!"

Lorelai called her own goodbye before she turned to her suitcase. She pulled her sleep flannel out of the suitcase and changed quickly, tossing her clothes into her bag in a rumpled pile. Just as she was starting to button the shirt, Luke walked back into the room, his eyebrows raising in appreciation when he saw how little she was wearing. "Don't bother buttoning that," he said, walking towards her slowly.

She gasped and pulled the shirt closed over her body in pretend modesty. "You should get out of here before my husband gets back," she said to him. "He's very protective of my honor, you know."

Luke backed her towards the bed, a dark fire smoldering in his eyes. "And damn lucky," he replied.

"Luke," she gasped at the intense blue of his eyes. They were no strangers to passionate sex, and most nights they ended up in a tangled mess of limbs before they succumbed to sleep. But the expression on Luke's face went beyond desire and arousal. It was bordering on need and desperation, and she'd only seen this look on his face a handful of times.

He leaned down to kiss her then, one hand tangling with her hair while the other went to trace her right thigh. Lorelai gasped as he gripped her hair tightly, and she knew that he was trying to lose himself, to prove that she was here with him and that his dream the night before had simply been a dream.

"Luke," she breathed again, trying to make sure he was okay. "Are you…oh god…"

He'd taken her earlobe into his mouth and was grazing his teeth over the soft skin. After a moment he pulled back and met her gaze, the intensity of his gaze causing her heart to speed up in anticipation. "Are we okay?" he asked.

"We're perfect," she confirmed.

"I want you."

She reached for his hips and held them steady as she rotated her own hips against him, feeling his arousal pressing against her. "I can tell."

He ran his knuckles over her cheek. "I want you _badly."_

Knowing he didn't want to be gentle, Lorelai met his gaze evenly. "Then take me," she permitted.

With that, Luke pushed her back onto the bed and quickly began shedding his own clothes. "Get yourself ready for me," he commanded.

"Get over here and do it yourself," Lorelai replied bossily.

She could see Luke's body tighten in reaction to her words, and she quickly slipped off the flannel she was wearing as he undid his belt. Years ago, when they'd first started sleeping together, Lorelai had been amazed at how well Luke had been able to please her. He'd known exactly where to touch her, exactly when to kiss her, and exactly what to do to make her forget everything but him. He'd kissed her and held her and made her feel like the most important girl in the world.

She still remembered the first night they'd brought it to a more passionate, less romantic level. Luke had been reluctant at first, not wanting to seem too domineering or aggressive with her. But when she'd promised she'd tell him if it got too far, Luke had quickly realized that there was nothing wrong with occasionally getting a little rough.

Now, propped up on her elbows as she watched Luke kick his pants and boxers to the side, Lorelai could feel her body throbbing with anticipation. She bit her lower lip as she looked at him for a moment, then rolled onto her stomach. She rose to her knees and braced herself against the headboard, looking Luke over her shoulder. "Please, Luke?" she asked.

Without a word, he knelt behind her on the bed and grabbed her hips, shoving himself all the way into her with a single, quick thrust and a deep moan of satisfaction at the feeling of her wetness surrounding him.

Letting out a soft cry of pleasure as her muscles contracted around him, Lorelai hung her head and bit her lip, feeling Luke pull out of her completely before he slammed into her again. He began to thrust into her deeply, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she took in the pleasure spreading through her body.

"Faster," she pleaded as Luke rocked into her. "Please Luke!" His name left her lips in a moan as he obliged, pushing into her at a fast and steady pace. After several long strokes, he pulled out completely and she let out a frustrated hiss. "Luke, please!" she gasped.

Without a word, Luke tugged on her shoulder and turned her onto her back, his eyes searching hers. Lorelai looked up at him, breathless and needy, and pushed her sweat soaked hair out of her face. "I'm so close," she gasped. "Luke…"

He groaned as he pressed a kiss to her chin.

"Luke," she gasped quietly, her hand moving to the small of his back.

"Yes," he murmured, trailing his tongue along the side of her neck.

"You feel so good."

"That's the point," he whispered, his lips moving against her collar bone.

"Oh god," she sighed towards the ceiling.

"You're so gorgeous."

"Luke…"

"So beautiful," he murmured, his mouth moving towards her breasts.

"Luke…" she gasped as he took her into his mouth. She writhed beneath him as his hardness brushed against her thigh.

"God, Lorelai, what you do to me…" he whispered, his mouth moving to her other breast.

"Oh god," she moaned, her back starting to arch.

"Lorelai," he gasped, his hips rocking against hers as he kissed his way back up to her face.

"Please," Lorelai gasped. "Luke…"

He shifted her towards him and pushed inside of her, feeling her body begin to tighten as he rotated his hips slightly against hers. "That's it," he urged her. "You're so close."

"Tell me," Lorelai gasped, her arm wrapping around his neck. "Tell me how I feel."

"You're so perfect," Luke breathed, his hands moving over her sides. "So tight and so wet."

Lorelai shifted beneath him, letting out a gasp as he pushed even deeper into her. "Tell me how you want me," she demanded.

Luke's eyes darkened even further. "I want to hear you," he breathed, his voice hot in her hear. "I can feel you, you feel so damn perfect. I want to hear you scream my name as you come undone."

"Yes…Luke…don't stop," Lorelai was practically begging now, and Luke pulled her hips closer to him.

"Let go," he breathed, pulling out and then rocking back into her immediately. "Let go, baby."

"Luke!" she cried as he pounded into her, wave after wave of pleasure washing over her as he moved above her. "Oh god, Luke, yes!"

He slowed as she became undone, panting and writhing beneath him, but after a moment Lorelai's eyes opened and she saw the desire written across his features. His eyes were smoldering, his jaw was set, and he was leaning over her with both desire and concern written across his features. She reached her hands above her head and he held them together with one of his own.

"I'm yours," she promised. "Do whatever you want to me, Luke, make me forget everything but how hard and huge you feel inside of me."

It was all he needed to start rocking against her again. He kept her hands restrained above her head as he picked up his pace, taking in her cries of pleasure with every thrust.

"Luke," she pulled against his strong grip. "I want to touch you."

He immediately let her wrists go, but started pushing into her even faster, fueled by the way her hands ran over his shoulders. She was approaching the edge again, Luke could tell, and he reached down to run his hand over her thigh, bringing her leg around his waist and allowing him to hit her most sensitive point.

"Oh my _god!"_ Lorelai's scream brought a wave of primordial pride over Luke, and he felt her reach above her head to grip the railings of the headboard, her hips rocking against his as she arched her back in pleasure. "Oh god, Luke… _Yes!"_

She came in a long wave, tightening around him as her head thrashed from side to side on the pillow. Her moans and gasps of pleasure were enough to bring him over the edge as well, and after two more powerful thrusts he allowed himself to fall, his own moans of appreciation mixing in with hers.

"Oh my god," Lorelai gasped, still shaking as he rolled off of her a few moments later. They lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling, both of them panting hard. "Wow."

"I'll second that," Luke murmured.

"I just…" Lorelai shook her head. "Wow."

He turned to look at her. "Are you…"

"Don't even think about asking me if I'm okay," Lorelai said. "That was hot. Rough and intense, yeah, but amazing."

"Just making sure," he murmured.

She turned on her side to look at him. "You know I don't have a problem with getting intense sometimes," she said gently. "I like when you take charge. I like when it gets…primordial."

"I know," Luke said. "But I don't really know what came over me just then."

"Well, whatever it was, it was damn amazing," Lorelai replied. "I'm so glad we're not a boring old married couple."

He smiled as he trailed his fingers over her stomach. "God no, it just keeps getting better," he replied. He was quiet for a moment before he said, "that dream scared the hell out of me."

Lorelai sighed and scooted closer. "I know," she whispered. "Not that I minded, but do you think it has anything to do with that caveman act you just performed there?"

He sighed into her hair. "Maybe," he admitted. "It's just…you know I prefer to show what I'm feeling."

"And show you did," Lorelai confirmed. "You were clingy today."

He blushed and pulled away from her. "Sorry," he said. His dream had terrified him, and he'd found himself not wanting to be separated from Lorelai by more than a few feet all day. He felt like an idiotic teenager, afraid that if he let the girl he liked out of his sight she'd disappear.

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Lorelai said, tugging him back towards her. "I'm just worried. I've never seen you like that."

He shrugged as he met her gaze again. "When you had those dreams, you needed me to say that I'm still here," he said. "I guess I just needed to…physically prove to myself that you're here. That's why I wanted to hold your hand all day and…"

"Make me scream your name until I forgot everything but complete pleasure," Lorelai supplied.

Luke couldn't help the self satisfied smirk that came over his face at her words. "Sometimes I still can't believe that I get to do that with you," he admitted.

She smiled as she pushed him onto his back and straddled his stomach. She leaned down to kiss him, then pulled back, her hands roaming his chest. "Who's better in bed?" she asked. "Me or Pedestal Lorelai?" He'd admitted to having dreams about her before they'd ever become involved romantically, to which she'd disclosed that not all of her dreams about him had been everyday morning routines; she'd had a very realistic dream once about _how_ those twins had gotten into her stomach.

He laughed as he ran her hands up and down her thighs. "Definitely you, no question," he said.

"Is there anything she's done that I haven't?" Lorelai asked. At his blush she pointed a finger down at him. "There totally is! What is it?"

"It's no big deal."

"Come on, Luke, everyone has fantasies," Lorelai said. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty adventurous."

He tried to shove her off of him, but she tightened her legs around him, and he sighed in defeat. "It's seriously not a big deal," he said.

"I might do it," Lorelai said. "I'll even tell you my fantasy."

He frowned. "What fantasy?" he asked.

"Ha!" Lorelai cried. "Don't like not knowing?"

Luke sighed as he stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Not seeing any possible way out of this conversation, he said, "Well, there's this clearing out by the lake," he murmured. "It's pretty secluded, and I used to camp there. I just thought it might be…nice to bring you out there sometime."

"You want to do it in the woods?" Lorelai asked.

"I told you, not a big deal," Luke said. "Now tell me yours."

"Hey, I might do it," Lorelai said. "If we bring your truck out. There's no way I'm laying on the ground."

His eyes glazed over slightly, but he squeezed his hands against her hips. "Tell me," he insisted.

"You'll never do it."

"Tell me."

Lorelai bit her lower lip and looked down at him with a playful look in her eyes. "Consider it added to your five hours," she said.

"Lorelai," he groaned. "Tell me!"

"Nope, got to keep you interested," Lorelai said with a giggle.

"I don't think that's _ever_ going to be a problem."

She grew serious as she looked down at him. She reached for his left hand and took it, stroking her thumb over his wedding ring as she examined it closely. It wasn't the first time she'd admired the only piece of jewelry he'd ever wear, and he hoped it wouldn't be the last. "Do you think all newlyweds as amazed by marriage as we are?" she asked.

"I think we know what could have been," Luke said softly. "We appreciate our marriage more because we know what it's like to not have it."

"So that lost year has a purpose after all," Lorelai sighed. She slid off of him and nudged him gently with her foot. "Get under the covers."

Luke sighed and stood with her to pull the covers back. When they were both settled in the bed, she commented, "You know, if we keep having sex like that we might have to soundproof our bedroom."

He laughed. "You're loud enough in your everyday life," he said. "I was never surprised you like the dirty talk."

"And for a man of few words, you have learned to deliver that dirty talk pretty well," she complimented.

"It helps that I have a sexy wife."

She smiled as she leaned forward to kiss him, then pulled back to look at him. "If the dream happens tonight, wake me up," she said, her gaze turning serious.

"Lorelai…"

"I'm serious, Luke," she said. "You don't have to sneak out of bed to try to calm yourself down. I'm here, I want to help."

"I don't want to worry you."

"I'm your wife," Lorelai whispered. "Please, just let me help. I know you like to be strong, but I don't want to circle back to that particular tree."

Luke nodded, seeing through her attempts to make a joke. Knowing she was right, he ran a hand over her arm. "I will," he said.

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," he nodded.

"Good," she sighed. She settled into the pillows, looking at him, and requested, "Tell me a story."

He shot her a look. "What?" he asked.

"I like your voice," Lorelai explained. "I miss talking on the phone at night."

"Yeah, being separated by three states felt great," Luke said sarcastically.

She giggled. "Don't get me wrong, I much prefer having you here with me, but I loved those late night talks," she said. "Being here, in the hotel, reminds me of that summer when we met for the weekend in New Hampshire. Remember?"

"Of course I remember," he admitted with a fond smile. "That weekend was a culmination of many a fantasy."

"It was so romantic," Lorelai whispered, tracing her finger over his chest. "I was very impressed."

Luke laughed, knowing she wasn't referring to the inn where they'd secluded themselves halfway through that lonely summer and consummated their relationship. "Me too."

"You know what I think?" Lorelai asked quietly.

"Hmm?" he murmured.

"I think the plane ride will go much faster tomorrow if we sleep through it," Lorelai commented, propping her head up on her hand as her elbow rested on the pillow near Luke's head. "So I think we owe it to our future selves to stay up all night so we're tired on the plane."

"Excellent idea," Luke replied. He reached for the hand that was tracing over his chest and pressed a kiss to it. "Any ideas how we can pass the time?"

She smiled as she leaned down to kiss him, tracing her hand over his face. "How about we take it slow this time?" she requested when she pulled away.

Luke responded by pulling her on top of him, resting his hands on her hips. "You got it," he promised, and she leaned down to seal the deal with a long kiss.


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's a little mid-week update. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Lorelai smiled as she wandered through the town square, taking in all the booths that were set up for the craft show that was being hosted in Stars Hollow for the first time. She'd lingered over breakfast at Luke's that morning, and now she was enjoying the warm spring day. What she'd dubbed "birthday eve" years before, when Rory had been little, was shaping up to be an excellent day this year.

She admittedly had mixed feelings about her birthday this year. As much as she'd always loved celebrating birthdays and having an entire week dedicated to herself, she was a little apprehensive about turning forty. Everything was going so well in her life, and she and Luke had tried hard over the past month to focus on everything they did have, instead of what they didn't. But the fact that she was entering another decade made her nervous about ever having her dream of giving Luke a baby.

"Lorelai!"

She turned when she saw Liz charging towards her, pushing Doula's stroller. "Hi, Liz!" she exclaimed.

"It's my favorite sister in law!" Liz cried, embracing Lorelai tightly. "Did you stop by the booth?"

"Yeah, there was some beautiful stuff," Lorelai acknowledged. "I loved the flower hair clips."

Liz offered her a wink. "Then my brother knows you well," she affirmed. "TJ and I are excited for your birthday party tomorrow night!"

Lorelai smiled. She and Luke had decided to combine her birthday celebration with a house warming party. He'd been reluctant to have any kind of party at first, but she'd pointed out that by doing it this way, they'd only have to throw one party and he'd quickly relented. "We've got the keg ordered and the bongs set up," she confirmed.

Liz laughed and tapped Lorelai's shoulder. "I'll have to be the sober one this time around," she announced with a smile. "You're going to be an aunt again!"

Surprise and jealousy fought for control of Lorelai's emotions at that moment, but she quickly suppressed both and plastered a smile on her face. "You're pregnant?" she asked.

Liz smiled fondly down at a sleeping Doula. "Yep, she's going to be a big sister."

"Wow, congratulations," Lorelai answered, embracing Luke's sister tightly. She took a deep breath as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to let herself cry. "Does Luke know?"

"Know what?"

Lorelai pulled away from Liz at the sound of her husband's voice, and turned to look at him with a shaky smile. In the three days since they'd returned from New Mexico, he hadn't been plagued with any more dreams, but he was still reluctant to let her out of his sight. She shouldn't have been surprised that he'd taken a break from the diner after the breakfast rush to seek her out.

"Hey, big brother!" Liz exclaimed. "I just told Lorelai, you're going to have a new niece or nephew in a few months!"

Lorelai saw Luke's jaw clench briefly before he leaned down to kiss his sister's cheek. "That's great, sis," he claimed, but the excitement in his voice was forced.

"Yeah, Doula and I are just heading home for lunch, but we'll be back for the afternoon rush," Liz nodded to the craft fair. "We'll see you tomorrow night!"

"Bye, Liz," Lorelai sighed.

Luke leaned into the stroller to stroke Doula's cheek gently before straightened and patted his sister's shoulder. "I'm happy for you," he commented, and this time his remark wasn't forced.

Liz flashed a smile over her shoulder before she disappeared down the street. Lorelai sighed and turned to look at Luke. "Well, that's that," she concluded flatly.

"We'll talk about it later," Luke promised. "Birthday week isn't a time to be sad."

Knowing he was trying to cheer her up, Lorelai turned to grin up at him. "You're learning quickly," she confirmed.

Luke reached for her hand and linked their fingers together. "How's the fair?" he asked.

"Good," Lorelai declared as they settled onto a bench beside the gazebo. "I saw a pretty great booth with some beautiful flower hair clips. I was going to buy them, but the owner of the booth pointed out that it's much more efficient to let my husband do that for me."

"Liz told you I already bought some?" he asked with a sheepish smile.

Lorelai beamed up at him. "I love how well you know me," she disclosed. "Don't worry, I'll be surprised."

"Thanks for that."

She giggled and rested her head against his shoulder. "You have to get started on your list," she implored, tapping his knee. "You don't want to fall behind."

Luke pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Where should I start?" he asked.

"Hmm," Lorelai thought, lifting her head to meet his eyes, which were dark with love and desire, a look that was only ever directed towards her. "How about tonight, in the tub?"

"I don't take baths."

"You'll like this kind of bath," Lorelai promised. "Come on, Luke, are you going to deny your wife some hot bathtub sex on her last day in her thirties?"

"How about the shower?" he countered.

"You want the shower, add it to your own list," Lorelai implored.

Luke sighed and trailed a finger over her cheek. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

At the sudden change in topic, Lorelai's eyes dimmed slightly, and she took a long sip of coffee. "Well, the words, unfair, she already has a baby, and why not us did cross my mind," she admitted. Meeting his eyes, she asked, "Does that make me a horrible sister in law?"

"If it does, I'm right next to you as a horrible brother," Luke expressed.

"Let's give it the summer," Lorelai shrugged. Her eyes began to sparkle again. "You know what would cheer me up?"

"What?"

"Telling me what my birthday present is," Lorelai replied.

"It's not your birthday."

"It's my birthday week."

"Not the same."

"Luke, please!" Lorelai maintained her begging. "I'll give you a full day of no coffee, not even decaf."

"No."

Lorelai thought for a moment before she offered, "I'll drive the boat next time we go out!"

"You don't have a boating license."

"So?" she shrugged. "It can't be that much different from a car."

"Considering how you drive my truck, there's no way in hell you're touching my boat."

"Our boat."

Luke shook his head slightly as he looked at her. "I love you," he admitted.

She couldn't suppress the smile that came across her face at the words. A year ago, she'd never thought she'd hear those words from him again, especially with how rarely he'd said it to begin with. That birthday had been her most lonely one ever, but this was already making up for it.

"I love you too," she smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.

Luke brushed her hair off of her shoulder and offered her a small smile. "How's the birthday week so far?" he asked.

"Well, let's see," Lorelai said thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her chin. "It started with mind blowing hotel sex, you made me breakfast in bed on Monday, we had a date at Sniffy's last night, and right now you're abandoning your job to make out with me in the town square. So far it's been pretty damn good."

He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her again. "Good."

Lorelai ran her hand over his knee, wanting to ask him if he was okay. She certainly didn't mind him being more affectionate, but she couldn't help but be a little worried by his demeanor as well. She knew Luke loved her, but the constant need to be near her wasn't _him._ He couldn't follow her around like this forever, he would eventually have to face how much that dream had upset him.

She was opening her mouth to bring the topic up, but frowned when she saw Luke's eyes move beyond her. His grip around her tightened and his face stiffened. He was angry. "What's wrong?" she asked, turning to follow his gaze. She immediately saw what was upsetting him when she saw Christopher Hayden standing on the other side of the square, watching them curiously.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Luke asked.

"Luke, I have no idea," she pledged quickly. "I promise, I haven't even talked to him since he was here last summer." She turned to look at him, her eyes searching his. "Please, just tell me you know that I didn't ask him to come here."

As he turned to look at her Luke's gaze softened, but only slightly. "I know," he promised her.

Lorelai nodded, then squeezed his knee. She took a long sip of coffee then stood, turning to look at him. "Are you coming?" she asked.

Luke took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. "I hate that guy."

"I know, but…" Lorelai's voice trailed off and she shook her head. "It's okay. I can deal with him."

Luke's face twisted and he stood to look at her. She glanced towards Christopher, who was making his way towards them, then squeezed Luke's hand. "You spent a whole weekend with Anna, I can do this," he pointed out hesitantly.

Lorelai offered him a grateful smile before she turned to Christopher, who'd stopped a few yards away from them. "Hey, Lor."

She felt Luke's body constrict behind her. He'd told her how much he hated Christopher's nickname for her. "Christopher," she pronounced his name evenly.

"I'm really sorry to drop in like this," Christopher remarked honestly. "I tried calling, but someone else picked up. I didn't realize you'd moved."

"I have a cell phone."

Christopher sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Look, I didn't want to do this, but I have a good reason for being here, I promise," he responded.

"Okay, well, the anticipation has successfully been built," Lorelai commented.

Christopher glanced at Luke for a moment. "I'm, um, having some issues with my taxes," he revealed.

"Tax day was two weeks ago," Lorelai snapped.

"I know, but I got an extension," Christopher stated. "They've got some questions, and I need your tax information for last year, since we were legally married for part of the year."

Lorelai was quiet as she examined him. As far as she could tell, he was telling the truth, but she was reluctant to agree, for fear of falling for another one of his schemes. She glanced at Luke, who was also examining Christopher with weariness. "Our files are at home," he finally told Christopher, speaking for the first time.

"I can go get them, meet you back here," Lorelai offered.

"Come with us."

Lorelai's jaw dropped as she turned to look at her husband. She thought she'd see him dress in tails and a top hat and eat peacock pie before he'd ever invite Christopher to their house. "What?" she asked.

Luke shrugged. "It's not going to take long, right?" he said, looking at Christopher. "The house isn't far."

Christopher looked just as stunned as Lorelai felt. He glanced at Lorelai, trying to figure out if this was some sort of trap before he said, "I don't mind waiting here."

"Luke, can I talk to you?" Lorelai asked, dragging him to the other side of the gazebo, out of Christopher's hearing distance. "Do you realize what you just did? Are you feeling okay?"

Luke pushed her hand off his forehead where she was feeling for a fever. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles, then squeezed her hand tightly. "It's okay," he said. "He'll come over, we'll give him a copy of your tax stuff, and he'll leave."

Lorelai looked at him suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not just trying to show off?" she asked.

"I've been through a divorce too," he reminded her. "I had to have the awkward tax discussion with Nicole. I get it."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded slowly. "It's really not a big deal for me to run home and get the paperwork, though."

"Lorelai, let's just get this over with," he insisted. "He might need more than we think, it's easier if we have all the information right there."

"Okay," she repeated, squeezing his hand. "Thank you, Luke."

"Nothing to thank me for," he replied. "Let's go."

Lorelai held onto his hand as they approached Christopher again, who'd busied himself with his cell phone. He looked up at them nervously, and Lorelai mustered up a smile. "Come on, you can see the new digs," she said, trying to sound normal.

Christopher nodded, shoving his phone into his pocket as he glanced hesitantly at Luke. "Okay," he said as he fell into step beside them. After a moment he said, "I'm surprised you moved."

"We wanted a fresh start," Lorelai replied. "It's not that far from the old house. We're renting that one out, so we haven't entirely let go."

"Oh," was all Christopher could muster up.

"Here we are, easy access to town square," Lorelai announced as she and Luke walked up the front path. On the front porch, Luke pushed the door open, and Lorelai turned when she realized Christopher was still standing on the sidewalk. "You coming?" she called.

Christopher tore his eyes away from the mailbox and nodded. "Yeah," he said, approaching them. "It's a nice place."

"Thanks," Lorelai said, leading him into the foyer.

"I'll make some coffee," Luke volunteered. "The tax papers are in the library."

"Yeah, I've got it," Lorelai said, offering him a thankful smile. "Thanks, Luke."

"Let me know if you need anything," Luke said before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Lorelai turned to Christopher and offered him a nervous smile. "Want a tour?" she asked. "Or just the quick version on the way to the library?"

Christopher glanced curiously up the stairs before he shook his head. "Quick version's fine," he said.

"Okay," Lorelai said. "This way."

She led him down the hall and through the living room, then slid the doors to the library open. "Wow," Christopher breathed as he stepped inside. "I'm sure Rory loves this."

Lorelai smiled as she made her way to the small file cabinet that rested beside the desk they'd moved from her house. "Yeah, she was here for a long weekend over Presidents' Day, right after we moved in," she acknowledged. "Luke made her the shelf signs for Christmas, and she spent three days organizing all of her and April's books. We only saw her when she came out for coffee breaks."

Christopher stepped into the room as she flipped through the files. He stopped beside the fireplace, examining the pictures on the mantel. Lorelai had taken the move as a chance to update their family pictures. Rory's Yale graduation portrait sat beside April's spring picture, and Luke and Lorelai's wedding portrait had a central place on the shelf. More random pictures were placed between; the family of four on Thanksgiving, Rory and April smiling proudly at their Gingerbread house, and Luke and Lorelai on their new front yard marked Lorelai's favorite moments over the past year.

"You certainly didn't waste any time," Christopher observed.

Lorelai pulled their 2007 tax return file and straightened, meeting his gaze evenly. "We fought hard to get here," she said. "We had a lot to fix, but we didn't exactly start from scratch."

Christopher nodded, leaning down to examine a wedding picture. Lorelai was dancing with her father, April with Jess, and Rory was beaming up at Luke as he led her around the dance floor. "She's happy?" he asked softly.

"Very," Lorelai confirmed.

With a nod, Christopher stood and nodded to her. "Ready to bore ourselves to death for the IRS?"

Lorelai held up the file. "Yes, but they usually send me a big, fat check, so I forgive them eventually," she said.

Christopher's eyes flashed to her wedding rings, but then met her eyes with a small nod. "Let's get our money," he said.

"We can go to the kitchen, there's more room there," Lorelai said.

"Lead the way," Christopher gestured to the door. He followed her back through the living room and into the kitchen, where Luke was pouring two cups of coffee.

"Find it okay?" he asked as Lorelai brushed her hand over his shoulder on her way to the table.

"Yeah, just wanted some room to spread out," Lorelai confirmed.

"Good," Luke nodded, handing them each a cup of coffee. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."

"Thanks, hon," Lorelai said as she took a sip of coffee. "So, what do you need?" she addressed Christopher as she sat down and opened the tax file.

"Just a copy of your returns," Christopher said. "I knew the rest of the information."

Lorelai nodded, then turned her attention to the pile of papers before her. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she set aside the copy of the marriage license and her name change form that she'd sent in with her taxes, as proof of her new identity for the government.

"Wow," Christopher said, pulling her attention across the table to him. "You changed your name?"

Clearing her throat, Lorelai shifted uncomfortably. For someone who'd sought her out for practical purposes, Christopher now seemed to want to discuss how much she'd changed her life for her current marriage when she'd barely ever adjusted to him living in her house during their brief time together.

"Improved it, actually," she corrected. "You're looking at Lorelai Gilmore Danes."

"I never would have thought Luke would be the kind of guy to push for that," Christopher commented.

Lorelai's spine straightened defensively. "He didn't," she said.

"Lor, come on, I know you'd never do that."

"I did," Lorelai insisted. "Luke never so much as asked about it. He just assumed I'd keep my name as it was. But I chose to do it own my own."

Christopher looked at her closely. "You were right," he finally said. "When we were kids, all those years ago, you knew that it would never work between us."

Lorelai shook her head as she flipped through Luke's tax paperwork to get to her own. "I should have channeled her," she muttered. "I don't want there to be bad blood for Rory's sake, Chris, but do we really have to hash this out again?"

"No," he said, sliding her name change form back to her and reaching for the papers she was offering him. "Thanks."

Lorelai sat back in her chair and watched as he pulled his own forms out, his brow furrowed in concentration as he took down the information he needed. She took a sip of coffee and smiled in gratitude when she realized that Luke hadn't watered it down this time. It was weird enough to have Christopher here, bleeding into her new life, she didn't need weak coffee to go along with it.

Ten minutes later, he handed her the papers back and offered her a small smile. "All set," he said.

"Good," Lorelai said, fitting the papers back together before she slid them back into the file. "Just call me if you need anything else."

"I will," he nodded as he stood. "Mind if I use your bathroom before I leave?"

"Sure," Lorelai nodded. "By the front door, to the left."

"Thanks," Christopher disappeared down the hall and Lorelai sighed as she picked up the folder and retreated to the living room.

"Hey," Luke looked up from his supply log, spread out over the coffee table. "Everything okay?"

"I think so," Lorelai nodded. She set the file on a shelf and sat down next to him on the couch. "I mean, I feel a little weird having him here, but it's okay."

"Good," Luke nodded, turning back to his work.

Silently, Lorelai looked on with him, then tapped his shoulder. When he turned to look at her, she offered him an innocent smile and pointed to a single item on the page. Following her gaze, he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No."

"Luke," she pleaded. "Come on, I miss the pumpkin pie!"

"And you'll get it in the fall," he promised. "It's a seasonal item."

"Since when?"

"Since always," he informed her.

With a small smile, Lorelai flipped her hair over her shoulder. "You're not going to deny me anything on my birthday eve, are you?" she asked quietly.

"No, I'm not," he said. "But I'm thinking as a business owner here, not your husband."

Lorelai pouted. "There didn't seem to be much separation between the two last night during the closing special," she purred.

"Lorelai," he hissed, glancing towards the doorway.

"Right, sorry," she dropped her thoughts of their less than sanitary actions on the freshly mopped floor behind the counter the night before when she remembered they weren't alone in their house. "Just think about pumpkin pie, please? For my birthday?"

"You wanted pumpkin pie for your birthday, you should have been born in the fall."

Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest. "You and Rory and your stupid fall birthdays," she said. "April and I should come up with a spring birthday treat, way better than your fall perfection."

"Good luck with that," Luke patted her knee as he turned back to his log.

A throat cleared in the doorway, and both Luke and Lorelai stood when they realized Christopher had entered the room. "Thanks for letting me get that information," he said.

"No problem," Luke said, surprising both himself and Lorelai by reaching his hand out to for Christopher to shake. After a beat, Christopher shook it with a polite nod.

"I'll walk you out," Lorelai said, leading Christopher towards the foyer. Once they were at the front door, she crossed her arms over her chest, realizing she had no idea what the protocol for seeing her ex-husband off was. A kiss on the cheek? A hug like they were twelve? A handshake?

"I'm glad you're happy," Christopher said honestly.

"Thanks," Lorelai said. "I…I hope you are too."

"Getting there," Christopher confirmed. He paused, then asked, "Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

"Rory?" Lorelai asked. At his nod, she sighed and looked at the ceiling. "I don't know, Chris. For a long time, I protected her from you. When she was little I would make up messages from you to give to her, just so she wouldn't be sad. But then she grew up and realized the truth. Now she's really a grown up, on her own. I can't be the go between anymore. Being a parent takes effort, you know that. If you want a relationship with Rory, you have to try. Not when it's convenient, but all the time."

He nodded sadly. "I love her, you know," he said.

"I know."

"I wasn't ready for her."

Lorelai sighed tiredly. "I wasn't exactly planning on her either," she sighed. "I was kind of looking forward to prom and graduation. But having Rory was so much better than doing those things."

"Can you just talk to her?" Christopher requested. "Please, Lor? I miss her."

"Then call her," Lorelai said, her tone exasperated. "We've done this before, Christopher. I'm sick of it. You're Rory's father. That's never going to change. You want to be her _dad?_ Great, no one's stopping you besides yourself. Pick up the phone and call her. All the time."

"I don't have a lot of time, with Gigi…"

"Make the time," Lorelai snapped. "You can't be her dad when it's convenient for you. I'm done with this. Rory's an adult. If the two of you can figure out how to have a relationship after all this time, go for it. I'm not going to stop you. But I'm also not going to be your contact point for her. You want to be her dad, then be her dad. Call her, ask her about her articles, and what she's seeing on the road. I dealt with the midnight feedings and the toilet training, I handled her first heartbreak and her college applications. The hard part's over, you missed it. This is the fun part, where you can be friends with your kid."

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his neck. "You're right," he acknowledged.

Lorelai offered a small smile. "I usually am," she reminded him.

"I'll call her," Christopher promised.

She shrugged. "Just don't try if you're not going to follow through," she requested. "Rory may be an adult, but there are some pretty deep hurt feelings there. They're going to take time and effort, from both of you, to fix. If you can't commit to that, don't try. Rory's in a good place."

"She has you," Christopher said.

"Always."

He paused and glanced towards the living room. "She likes Luke?"

Lorelai tensed, ready to defend her husband if necessary. "She _loves_ Luke," she corrected.

"Good," Christopher said. "You've built a great life for yourself, Lorelai."

She smiled fondly as she glanced around the foyer of her home. Her eyes landed on a photo of her and Rory, standing on the steps of the Dragonfly during its test run. A photo of her and Luke at dinner that same night was placed proudly beside it. Despite her first real, blow out fight with Rory that had taken place later that night, Lorelai loved those two pictures. They represented everything good she'd done in the world, and she'd been proud to place them on the wall beside the front hall closet.

"I'm pretty pleased with it at the moment," she admitted. There was an awkward moment of silence, and then Christopher reached out to squeeze her hand gently.

"Take care of yourself, Lor."

She squeezed his hand back with a nod. "You too, Christopher," she said.

With that, he let go of her and pulled the front door open. Lorelai watched him walk down the porch steps, then closed the door gently. She turned back to the house and strode towards the living room, where Luke had returned to leaning over his supply log.

Without a pause, Lorelai shoved his hand away from his papers and sat down on top of them, effectively stealing his attention from his work. He opened his mouth in surprise, but she held a hand up to his lips. "Thank you," she said.

He gently lowered her hand and shook his head. "It wasn't a big deal," he insisted.

"No," Lorelai said. "Not for that. Yes, it was big of you to invite Chris here and I appreciate it. But I meant thank you for…everything."

"Everything?" Luke frowned.

Lorelai swallowed hard as she tried to fight of the tears that were threatening to fall. "For this house," she gestured to their surroundings. "For being a father to Rory, for letting me be part of April's life. For this," she held up her left hand, her engagement ring sparkling to match the happiness in her eyes. "We've got such an amazing life together, Luke, and I've never said thank you. Maybe it sounds insanely cheesy, but I honestly don't know what I would have done if we'd never gotten here. I would have been so lonely."

He listened to her rant with soft eyes, letting her say everything she needed to before he leaned back into the couch and held his arms out to her. She wasted no time in sliding off the table to sit across his lap, resting one hand on his chest while the other wrapped around his neck.

"I'm happy too," he said finally. "All that stuff you just said? It was done completely selfishly on my part."

Lorelai giggled, knowing that he was trying to make her smile. "Selfish is the last thing you are," she informed him.

"Nope, I'm an entirely selfish guy," Luke confirmed, running his hand over her thigh. "Because without you and this life we've built, I'd be just as miserable as I was a year ago."

"Doesn't count as selfish," Lorelai argued gently. "You're many things, Luke. Observant, generous, and caring, but selfish isn't one of them."

He shook his head as he held her a little more tightly. "All that we have, Lorelai, all the stuff you just mentioned? It wouldn't mean a damn thing if I wasn't sharing it with you."

"You're also a smooth talker, a bit cheesy, and a closet romantic."

Rolling his eyes, Luke leaned up to kiss her. She returned the kiss for a moment before she pulled back and tapped his chest. "Traditional, paternal, an excellent chef, and hot as hell…."

"Shh…" he requested, pulling her down to him again. This time, he was the one to pull back from their kiss. "Thank you," he said gently.

"For what?" she whispered.

He shrugged as he looked around the room, gesturing to the pictures that were scattered throughout the room. His eyes landed on the scrapbook she'd made him as a wedding gift, resting on its own shelf of prominence beside a picture of the two of them on their boat. "Everything," he said honestly.

"All done completely selfishly," Lorelai confirmed before she kissed him again. She stood, looking down at him with sparkling eyes. "So where did we land on the whole birthday present thing?"

"You'll get it tomorrow."

"Luke!" she whined.

"It's not here yet anyways."

"Wow, way to be prepared."

He shrugged. "It's guaranteed to be delivered by tomorrow," he promised. He stood and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Wait until then."

"I don't like waiting."

"You're kidding."

She followed him into the kitchen and watched as he started to pull a combination of items out of the fridge. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Luke turned from the pantry and held up a can of pumpkin. "Will pie shut you up?" he asked.

"It's worth a try," she said, hopping onto the island counter and swinging her legs back and forth. "I do love watching you cook!"

He offered her a glare. "You could help, you know."

"Me?" Lorelai asked in astonishment. "Are you trying to burn down our house so you don't have to throw that party tomorrow?"

Luke laughed and shook his head. "No," he said.

"Well, think about what you just said," Lorelai replied. "Remember last time you left me in the kitchen unsupervised?"

He cringed. "Good thing I didn't like those curtains," he commented.

"They were way too girly, even for me," Lorelai agreed. "You're welcome."

"I may not have liked them, but I didn't want them to catch on fire."

"They didn't catch on fire," Lorelai argued. "There was just a tiny singe."

Luke shook his head as he cracked some eggs into a bowl. "Your point has been proven, I won't make you help," he said.

"You know me well," Lorelai said. She reached out to poke his thigh with her foot. "While the pie's baking, you can get started on your five hours," she permitted.

Luke paused and offered her a look full of desire. "I could abandon the pie and get working on the list right now," he offered.

Lorelai giggled, but shook her head. "Nope," she said, dipping her finger into the batter. "Pie comes first."

Luke's eyes glazed over as he watched her pop her finger into her mouth, her eyes locked on his as she swallowed the batter. "You're an evil woman," he informed her.

She giggled and reached for his flannel, pulling him closer. "You know I love you more than pie, right?" she asked.

"Sometimes it's hard to tell," he grumbled.

"Well, I do," she confirmed. "Do you love me more than your spatula?"

"Yes," he said leaning in to kiss her. "But not as much as my kitchen."

Lorelai giggled as she looked around the room. "Too bad for her I'm not going to let you go," she said.

Luke turned back to preparing her pie, offering her a small smile. "I'll keep both of you," he informed her.

XXXXX

The following morning, Lorelai smiled as she leaned against the doorway to the kitchen. She was dressed in Luke's flannel and cradling a cup of coffee, watching as her husband moved effortlessly around the kitchen. Balloons wishing her a happy birthday were already tied to the back of one of the kitchen chairs, and she could smell the coffee cake warming in the oven. Luke was standing at the sink washing dishes, for once not having bothered to change out of his sweatpants and t-shirt.

"You should consider losing the shirt," Lorelai suggested from the doorway.

"Hey," he smiled turning to look at her.

She smiled and held up her coffee. "Thanks for the coffee," she said.

"Birthday special," he said, shutting off the water and reaching to dry his hands on a dish towel. "Don't get used to it."

Lorelai smiled as she walked towards him. "Well, if I couldn't wake up with a hot man, at least I woke up with a hot beverage," she commented.

Luke smiled as he placed his hands on her hips. "Happy birthday, beautiful girl," he murmured into her ear.

She beamed as she leaned up to kiss him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Breakfast will be ready soon," he said, starting to step away from her.

"I don't want breakfast yet," Lorelai said, meeting his eyes with a heated gaze.

At the tone of her voice, Luke turned to look at her expectantly. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice low.

Wordlessly, Lorelai placed her coffee cup on the counter and leaned up to him. She ran her fingers through his hair before bringing her lips up to his, kissing him deeply. "This," she breathed.

"I like that," he murmured.

"Me too," Lorelai giggled breathlessly before kissing him again, tugging gently at his hair.

"Lorelai…" he breathed against her lips.

"Tell me what my present is," she ordered softly, sucking on his bottom lip.

"No."

"Please," she whispered before slipping her tongue into his mouth, her fingers moving through his hair to trail over the skin at the back of his neck.

"No," he murmured.

"Please," Lorelai murmured, pressing her body against his as her tongue battled his for power. She gasped as he moved his own hand to tug gently at a strand of her hair. "Luke…"

"Upstairs," he whispered.

"Yes," she nodded, panting slightly.

"Okay," he said, turning to flip the oven off before grabbing her hand and pulling her up the stairs, kissing her deeply the second they'd stumbled into their bedroom.

"Luke," she whispered against his lips as his hands moved down her thighs and lifted her off the ground in one swift movement. Her legs automatically wrapped around his waist as she moaned softly. "Luke…"

"Lorelai…" he murmured, his lips leaving hers to trail kisses along her neck.

"Oh," she breathed, letting her head fall back as he sucked at her skin, nibbling slightly as he carried her towards their bed. Her fingers moved down to the hem of his t-shirt, pushing it up as he moved down to press soft kisses to her shoulders.

"Bed…" he moaned, tossing her gently onto the surface. He made quick work of the buttons on the flannel she was wearing, their lips crashing together as he did so.

"Pants bad," Lorelai stated, her body starting to tremble with anticipation as he finally separated the flannel. She moaned as he kissed at the skin between her breasts as she threw his t-shirt onto the floor and ran her fingertips gently over his back.

"Oh, Lorelai…" he whispered, pressing kisses along her breasts as she raked her fingers over his back, rocking against his hips and rubbing herself against his arousal.

"Luke," she moaned. "Oh…Luke…" her hips moved faster against his sweatpants, but then he disappeared as he trailed his tongue down her abdomen.

"Lorelai…" he groaned as she tried to reach for his pants, pushing them down and watching as he kicked them off. He paused and let out a soft breath when her hand brushed against him, her soft panting making him fight for control of himself.

After a moment, Luke leaned down and kissed his way back up to her breasts, nibbling gently at the skin. "Luke…oh god…"

"Lorelai," he murmured against her skin, rocking his hips against hers.

"Please," she pleaded quietly, her eyes becoming a stormy blue they way they always did when she wanted him. Her hips rose to meet his and he inhaled sharply at the feeling.

"Yes," he groaned as he slowly pushed inside of her. "God, Lorelai."

Lorelai gasped as he pulled her into a sitting position, their chests rubbing together as he thrust into her. "Luke…"

"Lorelai," he gasped, continuing to rock into her as he held her close, groaning at the feeling of her surrounding him.

Lorelai wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, forcing his movements to slow so she could feel every inch of him inside of her. "Oh god," she breathed. Luke leaned up to kiss her and she caught his lower lip between her teeth, nibbling gently as he tried to move faster.

"Lorelai, please," he murmured, pulling away to bury his face in her neck. "Please."

She responded by pushing him onto his back and straddling him, moving her hips quickly over him. He leaned up to press gentle kisses to her shoulder as she continued moving her hips in a figure eight motion against him. His hands went to her hips, guiding her over him as she let out a soft cry of pleasure. "Luke…oh god!"

"Yes," he gasped, running his hands along her back as he fell against the pillows, watching as Lorelai continued to rock against him.

"Yes," she echoed, her hips moving faster. "Oh god, Luke…"

"Lorelai…"

Her cries became louder and more frequent as her body began to tighten around him, her movements quickening as he angled her hips slightly, allowing himself to slide deeper into her. "Luke…oh _yes!"_

"Lorelai," he moaned, pulling her down to him and kissing her hard as her body began to shake with pleasure.

"Luke!" she let out a scream, her body trembling as she tightened around him in a long wave of pleasure. His hands moved to her lower back, then her hips, rolling her onto her back while remaining deep inside her. "Luke…oh god…" Luke pulled back and then thrust hard into her, grasping her hands tightly as he picked up his pace.

Luke let out his own loud, long moan as he felt his release quickly approaching. He pushed faster into her and she pulled one hand free from his to run her fingers through his curls. Her body was still trembling as he thrust into her three more times before he released her name in a long moan as he spilled into her.

"Oh my god," Lorelai panted as Luke collapsed on her, struggling to catch his breath as he buried his face in her neck.

"Wow."

"That was…you're so good at that…wow."

"You're amazing."

"We're amazing."

He smiled as he lifted his head off of her shoulder to look at her. "I think that's it," he confirmed, brushing a piece of hair out of her face before starting to roll off of her.

"No!" Lorelai insisted, holding him close. "Not yet."

"I'm too heavy," he insisted.

Lorelai sighed and loosened her grip on him, snuggling into his side as he shifted onto his back. "You know, the rest of this birthday is going to have a damn hard time measuring up to that," she stated.

"Good thing we've got a good sixteen hours left."

Lorelai sighed happily. "Hey Luke?" she asked.

"Hmmm?"

"What are the odds of you bringing me coffee cake in bed?" she asked.

He sighed as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder, then slid off the bed. "Don't get used to this," he informed her.

Lorelai's eyes darkened as she watched him walk to her side of the bed in search of his sweatpants. "Nice show," she commented. "What do you think about spending the rest of the day naked?"

"I think you're insane for even suggesting it."

"Come on, Luke, you owe me five hours of nakedness anyway."

He tossed her the flannel she slept in. "Not consecutively," he replied. "Even we couldn't do that."

Lorelai frowned down at the flannel. "It's my birthday," she said.

"I know."

"Which means you should do what I say."

Luke scoffed. "How is that different than any other day?" he asked.

"Could you at least stay shirtless?" Lorelai requested, battling her eyelashes at him.

"Whatever you say, birthday girl."

Lorelai beamed as she watched him walk towards the door. When he'd disappeared, she slid the flannel on and settled back under the covers, loving the feeling of being even more spoiled than usual by her husband.

XXXXX

That evening, Lorelai was dumping a bag of chips into a bowl when Luke walked into the kitchen with a scowl on his face. "I finally got that damn karaoke machine set up," he informed her.

"Good," Lorelai said with a smile. "Thank you."

"I still don't understand why you insisted on having it here," Luke sighed. "You know Babette and Patty are going to find some way to make everyone else incredibly uncomfortable."

Lorelai smiled as she hooked her arms around his neck. "It's been almost a year since my last performance," she murmured. "I thought I'd give my fans an encore."

The annoyance on Luke's face melted and gave way to both fondness and regret. For all their discussions in order to get back on track, they'd never discussed her song in great detail. "Did you mean it?" he asked.

"The song?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah," he said, pulling away and leaning against the counter.

Lorelai nodded slowly. "Well, not at first," she said. "You walked in midsong, so I honestly wasn't even thinking about you. I picked it for Rory, as kind of a joke, because we used to make fun of the Bodyguard all the time. But then you walked in and I thought about the words and about all the regret I had about how things had ended up. You know I never got over you, and I saw how you were looking at me from the bar, and I don't know, I guess I just got swept up in the moment."

It was exactly what she'd said to Babette and Patty the following morning, and Luke felt the hurt grip his emotions all over again. "I thought it meant more than that," he murmured. "When I walked out of the kitchen the next day and I saw you at the counter, I was ready. I was going to ask you to go to dinner so we could get things back on track. But then I heard you say that it didn't mean anything, and it hurt."

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai sighed, reaching out to rub his arm. "It did mean something, it really did. I went to the bathroom and cried for ten minutes before I could get myself together."

"I should have gone after you," he murmured.

She shook her head. "I wasn't ready," she said. "I would have pushed you away again. I wanted more for you, I wanted you to have someone better."

"There is no one better," he murmured.

"I know that now," Lorelai said with a wide smile. "But back then, I was just starting to get myself together. There was still a lot of me that was shattered. I would have been too scared to jump back into things at that point."

"What changed?" Luke asked. Not a lot of time had passed between her song and Rory's departure, when she'd disclosed her biggest secret to him.

"Well, you threw that amazing party for Rory," Lorelai said. "I saw your face, when we walked into the tent. It was the same one you had when she wrote that review for the diner in middle school, and when she graduated high school. I saw it on your face at her twenty first birthday party, and when you found out that she was going to be working on the campaign trail. I never realized it until too late, but it was the same way you looked at April. I saw it at her birthday party, and any time you talked about her, this expression of fatherly pride came over your face. And at Rory's party, I saw it again, but it was directed at _my_ kid."

"I've always loved Rory, you know that."

Lorelai smiled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure there were a couple years where you only put up with me so you could hang out with her," she teased.

"What else changed?" Luke persisted.

She shrugged. "When Sookie told me that you were the one who organized the whole thing, I just couldn't deny anything anymore," she said. "I wanted to thank you, so…I did."

He smiled and reached for her hand. "Thank me you did," he murmured.

Lorelai's eyes were sparkling as she looked at him. "You know, we could do a duet tonight," she suggested.

The emotional moment over, Luke rolled his eyes and turned to the fridge. "No."

"Oh, come on!" Lorelai cried. "Islands in the stream?"

"No."

"I got you babe?"

"Not happening."

"Don't go breaking my heart?"

"Lorelai."

"Time of my life?" Lorelai suggested. "I can run across the room and you can hold me above your head."

"That sounds like a good idea, especially when Patty's punch is involved."

"I'm giving myself a one cup limit," Lorelai said. "Of punch that is."

"Good," Luke said. "That stuff is toxic."

"And delicious," Lorelai nodded.

"Don't you remember what happened last Fourth of July?" Luke asked.

"Yes, I had four cups and then we had our own fireworks show in the lake," Lorelai confirmed. She frowned, then said, "I can't believe you let me swim when I was that drunk."

"Which is why you're on a one cup limit," he said. He glanced at her expression and said, "You can have other stuff, you know."

"Oh, I will," Lorelai promised. "Don't worry, tonight you're getting the full on Lorelai Gilmore Danes, uninhibited performance."

"Uninhibited?" Luke asked, eyebrows raised.

"Remember the night after that fancy party in New York?" Lorelai asked.

Luke's mind flashed to the limo ride home, and how they'd barely even made it into the apartment with their clothes on. He swallowed hard as he remembered taking her on the kitchen table before they'd stumbled to the bed for another round of passion. "Yeah, I remember," he confirmed.

Lorelai smiled and ran her hand over their newer, larger kitchen table. "Just setting the scene," she stated.

The doorbell rang and Luke groaned. "You're an evil woman," he informed her.

Lorelai paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at him. "And for a completely different visual, I'm wearing the blue underwear I bought last week. The ones you said you wanted to take off of me with your teeth."

"Evil, evil woman!" Luke yelled after her as she walked towards the front door.

"This better be my birthday present," Lorelai muttered.

When she pulled the door open, she was stunned to see Rory standing in front of her, a large grin spread across her face. "Happy birthday, Mom," she said.

With a squeal, Lorelai pulled her into her arms and the girls both began jumping up and down on the front porch.

"How'd you get away?" Lorelai asked.

"I had to, it's your birthday," Rory replied. "We're in Rhode Island this weekend, and instead of going out in Providence with the team, I rented a car to come here. I have to go back to work tomorrow, but it's worth it."

"I'm so glad you're here," Lorelai exclaimed, hugging her again.

"Luke and I have been conspiring for weeks," Rory reported as she followed Lorelai into the house.

Lorelai turned to Luke, who was watching the reunion with a happy smile on his face. "Is this my present?" she asked.

"In the flesh," Luke confirmed. "What do you think?"

"I think she's just as good as pumpkin pie," Lorelai confirmed.

Rory rolled her eyes and held up her bag. "I have your presents," she confirmed.

"Oh, let's go!" Lorelai said, grabbing Rory's arm and leading her to the living room.

"Karaoke?" Rory asked when she saw the machine set up. "How'd you convince Luke to do that?"

"I have my ways," Lorelai shrugged.

"So you annoyed him until he gave in?"

"I wouldn't call it annoyed, so much as…politely requested until he told me to do whatever I wanted," Lorelai replied. "Now, give Mommy her presents!"

Wordlessly, Rory reached into her bag and handed Lorelai a box.

"Very funny," Lorelai rolled her eyes as she took in the denture cream label. Rory handed her another gift, and Lorelai sighed dramatically as she took the folded cane. "To help me over the hill, I presume?"

"Exactly," Rory said with a nod.

"You can go back to your job now," Lorelai said, crossing her arms over her chest with a dramatic pout.

"Okay, okay, here's your real present," Rory said, offering a wrapped gift this time.

Lorelai examined her closely before she took it and peeled the wrapping paper off. "Okay, you've redeemed yourself," she stated. "Spa days are always an acceptable gift."

"That's what I was taught," Rory confirmed. "We can cash it in next time I'm here for a weekend."

"Sold," Lorelai said. "Thanks, honey."

"No problem," Rory said, looking around the living room. "The house looks great."

"We're pretty happy with it," Lorelai said. "Want to go settle in, see your room? I tried to make it as much like your old one as possible, but change anything you want."

"Sure," Rory said as she followed Lorelai to the stairs. She smiled as she stepped into her new bedroom, nodding approvingly. "I like it."

"Good," Lorelai said with a nod. "I know things were still pretty crazy last time you were here, so I hope it feels more like home now."

"It does," Rory confirmed. She glanced at the open door for a moment, then sat down on the bed. "Do you have some time to talk?"

"Of course," Lorelai said, plopping herself on the bed beside her daughter. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Rory said. She smiled slightly, then met her mother's eyes. "I met a boy."

Lorelai's eyebrows shot up curiously. "A boy, huh?" she asked. "Does this boy have a name or does he answer to hey you?"

"Ethan," Rory said. "He joined the team about a month ago. He graduated a semester early from Harvard."

"A Harvard man, huh?" Lorelai asked. "Wow, wait until your grandparents learn that you're dating a democrat from Harvard. They may actually like me better than you for a bit."

"Can we focus on the topic at hand, please?" Rory asked.

"Right, Ethan," Lorelai said. "Is he cute?"

"Yes," Rory nodded.

Lorelai shifted slightly, then asked, "So, um, how would you qualify your relationship?"

"Well, I kind of need your advice on that," Rory said. "We were talking on the bus one day, and we have a lot of similar interests, in books and stuff. Then when we were in Boston, he took me out for chowder and then…well, we ended up in his hotel room…"

"Enough said," Lorelai nodded. She looked at her daughter carefully for a moment. "How has he been since?"

Rory avoided her mother's gaze. "Well, I kind of pulled a middle of the night exit," she explained. "And then jumped in the car to come here. I'm not sure how to handle the post hook up situation."

Lorelai nodded slowly. "You're not asking the best person," she said apologetically. "I'm more of a relationship girl myself."

"So you never…jumped right in?" Rory asked.

Lorelai sighed and looked at the ceiling. "People have misconceptions about me, Rory," she said softly. "But getting pregnant at sixteen didn't make me some kind of slut. Quite the opposite, actually."

"I wasn't saying that!" Rory said quickly. "I know this is awkward, but I don't really have anyone else to talk to about this."

"I know, I'm trying to help," Lorelai said. "The first relationship I had after your dad was with a guy who was a waiter at the Independence Inn. He was fun and cute, but I always felt…weird being with him, knowing that you were with Mia. You were only three, I felt like you needed me. We only were together for a couple months. He knew about you, and he was okay with it, but he never really wanted to spend time with you, so I knew it wasn't right. And after that, I had dates, but nothing ever materialized."

"I remember one guy," Rory argued. "Right after we moved into our house."

Lorelai nodded as she picked at a loose string on the hem of her shirt. "Mark," she said softly. "He used to have Michel's job."

"He went to the movies with us," Rory recalled. "And he took us to the beach."

"I remember," Lorelai said quietly. "He was…I wasn't in love with him, but he was the closest I'd been since your dad."

"What happened?" Rory asked.

Lorelai shrugged. "He got a new job and he left," she said. "He wanted me to come with him, but I couldn't. I had you to think about. As much as liked you and accepted you, he wasn't ready to be a parent to a ten year old."

"I'm sorry," Rory whispered.

"It's okay, I've found my guy," Lorelai replied. She looked at Rory closely. "Do you think Ethan is your guy?"

"I don't know," Rory said. "But I want to find out. I'm just not sure where to go from here."

"Try talking to him," Lorelai said gently.

Rory nodded. "I guess that's a good place to start," she said. She bit her lip nervously, then requested, "Would you talk to Luke? Make sure he's…not scary?"

"Honey, he may not have been particularly nice to Dean or Logan, but it came from a place of caring," Lorelai said. "He just wants what's best for you."

"I know," Rory said. "But if I do bring him home, could you talk to Luke first? Please? He'll listen to you."

"I will," Lorelai promised.

"Thanks," Rory said. She smirked and asked, "Are you going to recreate your Coyote Ugly performance tonight?"

Lorelai laughed, but shook her head. "Nope, I'm limiting myself to one cup of Patty's punch," she said. She placed a hand on her stomach and said, "I'm trying to make a nice home for your brother or sister in here."

"Any news on that front?" Rory asked. "Without disturbing details, please."

"Not yet," Lorelai sighed. "But we are going to have a niece or nephew soon."

"Liz is pregnant?" Rory asked. "I'm sorry, Mom, that must be hard to deal with."

Lorelai shrugged. "We'll deal with it," she said. The doorbell echoed through the house and she patted Rory's leg. "Let's go have a party."

"Right behind you, birthday girl!"

XXXXX

Five hours later, Luke was leaning against the door to the living room as he watched Lorelai and Rory perform a not quite sober rendition of We Got the Beat. Patty and Babette were cheering them on from the couch, while several other townies danced along with them. Luke was sipping at his own beer, and he could feel his own inhibitions begin to slip. He'd let his usual guard down and had indulged in a few more drinks than he usually would have.

With a final swig of his beer, Luke pushed himself off the wall just as the song ended. Lorelai was slightly out of breath as she hopped off the coffee table, and her eyes sparkled as she saw him standing in front of him.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Better than last year?"

Ignoring everyone else in the room, Luke kissed her deeply. "So much better."

"Good," Lorelai said, wrapping her free arm around his neck, the other still clutching a cup of punch.

He was leaning down to kiss her again before he heard a wolf whistle come from the couch. "Now that's what I call a kiss!" Babette shouted.

"Jeez," Luke muttered, pulling away from Lorelai.

She giggled and looked to the couch. "You know he scares easy," she admonished.

"Don't know why," Patty commented, eyeing Luke with a hungry expression that made him more than uncomfortable. "Not all men can pull off the sexy lumberjack look."

"Hey, don't put your moves on my man!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"Cat fight!" Babette cried gleefully.

"No cat fight, I know I don't stand a chance," Patty sighed. "I should have jumped when I had the chance."

Luke rolled his eyes and tugged on Lorelai's arm. "Make her stop," he requested.

"Let me have another glass of punch and I will."

"No way," he said. "You're already two cups past your self imposed limit."

"So?"

"So you're cut off," Luke replied.

Lorelai frowned. "It's my birthday," she informed him.

"I'm aware."

"So let me have more punch."

"No."

"Please?"

"Mom, come on!" Rory cried, saving Luke from another argument. "Kirk's going to sing a medley of his favorite Broadway ballads."

Lorelai abandoned her mission of obtaining more alcohol to follow Rory across the living room where Kirk was testing the microphone. Luke shook his head as he turned towards the kitchen. He was glad that Lorelai was having fun and enjoying her birthday, but he was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed. As he poured himself a tall glass of water, he offered Sookie a smile as she wandered into the room.

"You're missing out on Kirk's Broadway spectacular," she informed him.

Luke shrugged. "I think I'll live," he replied. "You need anything?"

"No, I just figured I'd get started on the clean up," Sookie replied. "Lorelai's not so good about that."

"I'm well aware," Luke said, looking around at the cups, plates, and bottles that were scattered across every flat surface of the kitchen. "Thanks."

"No problem," Sookie said. She reached under the sink for a trash bag and said, "Lorelai's really happy, Luke."

He smiled slightly. "I know," he said. "I'm glad."

"No, I mean, she's _really_ happy," Sookie emphasized. "I've never seen her like this."

Luke reached to adjust his hat on his head. "She deserves it," he replied.

"You both do," Sookie said softly. "I was always rooting for you, you know."

"Thanks," Luke said.

"She always says that Rory is the best thing that ever happened to her," Sookie continued. "I love that girl, you know I do. But I have to say, I think you're just about equal on the scale of importance in Lorelai's life."

"Rory comes first," Luke stated automatically. "She always has."

Sookie shook her head slightly. "She always has," she said. "For both you and Lorelai. So does April, and I get that. But you mean just as much to Lorelai as Rory does."

"I know."

"She's scared of letting you down."

"She won't."

Sookie smiled softly. "Make sure she knows that," she requested quietly.

"I will," Luke replied.

"Luke!" Rory ran into the room and grabbed his arm, dragging him towards the door. "You're missing all the fun!"

He shook his head as he followed her towards the living room. Babette and Patty were now crouched over the karaoke machine, and Lorelai had snatched the couch in their absence. He sat down beside her and offered her a smile as he took in her flushed cheeks and the tiara that was now slightly lopsided. "You having fun?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded confidently. "Are you?"

He nodded as he reached out to straighten her crown. "Absolutely, beautiful girl."

"Never been happier," Lorelai informed him as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

XXXXX

Twelve hours later, Lorelai looked up at him from the exact same position. "I've never been more miserable," she stated.

"That's because you drank too much punch," he said.

"Thanks for the compassion," Lorelai said, moving to rest her head on the other end of the couch. "I'm never drinking again."

"Noted."

"Seriously, is it like a law of nature that as soon as you turn forty your head splits in half with the consumption of alcohol?" Lorelai asked.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You've been forty for years!"

"Two years, but thanks."

"Ugh, I can't think right now," Lorelai said. "Too much noise."

"Then stop talking."

She glared at him, then kicked at his thigh. "Make yourself useful and get some coffee," she requested. "And none of that half decaf stuff, I want the real deal."

"Good morning!" Rory chirped happily as she breezed into the room. "Is there coffee yet? Or eggs? I'm famished! Last night was so fun, wasn't it fun? I still can't get over Babette's rendition of Big Spender. Oh, and remember when Jackson tried to do a floor slide? Not exactly Animal House, but respectable."

"Make her stop!" Lorelai moaned.

Luke, who had not consumed nearly as much alcohol as his wife, was starting to feel equally overwhelmed by his stepdaughter's cheerfulness.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked.

"Punch," Lorelai groaned.

"Wasn't it delicious?" Rory asked.

"To be twenty three again," Luke grumbled. "Make yourself useful, kid, and get your mom some coffee."

Rory glanced between the two of them, an amused smile stretching across her face. "You two kids have too much fun last night?" she asked.

Lorelai lifted the pillow from her face to glare at her daughter. "You keep teasing, I'll give you explicit details about the after party," she threatened.

With a wrinkle of her nose, Rory scurried towards the kitchen. Luke glanced at his wife and reached out to rub her leg. "You okay?" he asked.

"I will be," she said, resting a hand on her head. "Just don't ever let me drink that much ever again."

"Like you listen to me," Luke scoffed.

Lorelai sighed and looked at him closely. "I had a really great birthday, Luke," she said honestly.

"I'm glad."

"You still love me even though I'm over the hill?"

He laughed and squeezed her thigh. "I beat you there," he said.

"Doesn't answer my question."

Luke leaned over to kiss her gently. "I still love you," he confirmed.

"Even though you saw the punch come back up this morning?" Lorelai asked.

Luke paused to consider her statement. "Let me think about it," he requested, earning him a nudge in the ribs. "I'm kidding."

"Good, because once you knock me up I'm going to expect you to hold my hair back," Lorelai informed him.

"Noted."

"Coffee's ready!" Rory exclaimed as she walked into the room with two mugs in her hand. "I made you some tea, Luke."

"Thanks," Luke said, leaning back to his side of the couch and taking the offered beverage gratefully.

"Can I get my poor hungover parents anything else before I have to leave?" Rory asked. "I can call the elderly home and cancel your shuffleboard game for this afternoon."

"Goodbye," Lorelai rolled her eyes.

"Did you make sure your walkers will be delivered today?" Rory asked.

"Door's that way," Lorelai pointed.

"Oh, don't forget to take your arthritis medicine," Rory teased.

Lorelai frowned and sat up. "So last night Luke used his teeth to…"

"Okay, I'm going!" Rory cried, holding her hands over her ears. "Please stop!"

Lorelai laughed and pulled herself to her feet. "I'll walk you out," she said.

Rory nodded and turned to Luke. "Thanks for being my co-conspirator," she said.

"Anytime, kid," Luke stood, standing to hug her tightly. "We'll see you soon."

"You will," she confirmed. She turned to Lorelai and looped her arm through hers as they walked to the front door. "I hope you had a good birthday."

"I did," Lorelai confirmed. "I know it was probably a lot for you to come just for the party, but I'm really glad you did."

"I wanted to," Rory confirmed. They stepped onto the front porch and she turned to look at her. "What should I do about Ethan?"

"Talk to him," Lorelai said confidently. She glanced back into the house and said, "I've done the not talking thing, I've done the avoiding thing. Trust me, honey, it doesn't work well."

"I know," Rory sighed. "It's scary."

Lorelai nodded and leaned forward to kiss Rory's forehead. "It is," she agreed. "But so worth it."


	17. Chapter 17

Lorelai was in heaven.

As she lay on the bench seat of the boat, stretched out in the fading sunshine and the wind blowing gently against her, she was sure that this was the definition of perfection.

That afternoon she and Luke had departed for their long awaited honeymoon on the boat. For a week, they'd be sailing up the New England coast, stopping at a few coastal towns and docking at Luke's childhood cabin in Maine. They were planning to stay at the cabin for a few days before they sailed back to Connecticut and their real life.

When she felt the engine shut off the quiet of the ocean surrounded her, and she turned to look at Luke as he leaned over the side of the boat, lowering the anchor for the night. She smiled in appreciation as she watched his forearms strain with the weight, and felt a warm sense of happiness wash over her. No matter how routine their life together had become, Lorelai was still grateful every day that the last year of her life had happened.

"We're near Newport already?" she asked lazily as he sat down beside her.

"Not quite," he sighed. "There's a storm brewing out there, I figured we'd have less waves out here. We're near Mystic."

Lorelai nodded and shifted so her head was on his lap. "This is the best honeymoon I've ever been on," she announced.

"And only an hour and a half in," Luke said. "I can stop trying now."

She giggled. "As long as I get food, sex, and sunshine I'll be a happy girl."

He ran his hand down her thigh. "One's fading fast, but I'd be happy to supply either of the other," he offered.

"Can we just have sandwiches for dinner?" Lorelai requested.

"Too hungry to wait for the grill?" Luke asked, referring to the small camping grill he'd brought on board.

"Nah, just want more time to enjoy you," Lorelai replied.

"Works for me," he said. "I'll check to see if I got any fish. I can keep them in the cooler until tomorrow."

Scrunching her nose, Lorelai pushed herself into a standing position and gestured towards the interior. "I'll get the sandwiches ready and avoid all things relating to fish guts," she stated.

"I figured."

With a shake of his head, Luke watched in appreciation as she ambled towards the cabin, looking completely irresistible in her cutoff shorts and black bikini top. He was glad she'd agreed to such a long boat trip for their honeymoon. Her one condition had been to dock frequently for running water and shopping, and he'd been happy to oblige. One of the many things he'd learned over the past year was that compromise was essential when two people as stubborn as them embarked in a relationship.

After checking his fishing pole and realizing that he'd come up with nothing, Luke quickly packed the equipment away until the following day. Maybe he'd catch something for dinner on their sail to Rhode Island in the morning.

When he walked down the three steps into the cabin, he was surprised to find it empty. The enclosed space made the rocking of the boat more pronounced, and he frowned when he heard Lorelai's coughs coming from the bathroom.

"Lorelai?" he called, tapping gently on the closed door. "You okay?"

"It's open," she said with a groan, and as he slid the door open he felt concern and pity was over him. His wife knelt over the toilet, holding her hair to one side as she coughed up the contents of her stomach.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, leaning into the tiny bathroom to hold her hair for her.

She wiped her mouth with her hand and shook her head. "I don't know what happened," she said. "As soon as I got inside I got really dizzy, and then I got sick."

"Maybe you're a little seasick," Luke suggested, rubbing her back slowly.

"I've never gotten seasick before."

"Yeah, but it's pretty choppy out there," he said. "Enclosed spaces make it worse." In the close quarters of the stuffy cabin, he could feel his own stomach starting to churn. "Think you can make it to the deck?"

Lorelai flushed the toilet and leaned into him, closing her eyes for a moment. "I think it's okay for now," she stated.

"Let me help you," Luke said, allowing her to lean against him as he led her towards the door. Lorelai squeezed her eyes closed as she walked, trusting Luke completely to guide her. When they were in the fresh air, Luke could feel that the water had indeed become more rough, and the sunset had been replaced by a set of heavy clouds.

"Feel any better?" he asked as she sat down gingerly and immediately curled into herself.

Lorelai raised a hand to her head and inhaled deeply. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "It's cold."

"I'll get you a blanket," Luke said, and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. He frowned and kissed her again, then ran a hand over the spot. "You're warm."

"Luke," she pleaded, wrapping her arms around her exposed stomach.

"I'm going," he said, quickly retreating back into the cabin. He pulled a blanket out from under the bed, and after a particularly large swell had to balance himself against the doorframe. He mentally kicked himself for not keeping a closer eye on the weather report. This was certainly not the type of boat rocking Lorelai had alluded to over breakfast that morning.

Halfway to the deck, Luke dropped the blanket and turned on his heel, heading towards the bathroom and emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet as Lorelai had done minutes earlier.

"Great job, Danes," he muttered as he flushed the toilet and then moved towards the sink. "Making you both sick…what a honeymoon."

When he reached the deck, Lorelai was curled in a ball on the bench, and he gently covered her with a blanket, brushing his hand over her forehead, now damp with sweat. "Maybe we should go home," he suggested softly.

Lorelai's teeth were chattering as she wrapped the blanket tightly around her. "I don't want to ruin our trip," she whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Hey, that's okay," he said, kneeling in front of her. "We can do this anytime."

She shook her head. "No, I'll be okay," she promised. "I just…oh god." She froze and clamped a hand over her mouth as the boat rocked hard to the left. Luke's stomach lurched at the feeling.

"It's pretty rough," he said. "I'm not sensitive to this stuff, and I got sick too. We can do this later in the summer."

Her eyes squeezed shut and more tears streaked down her cheeks. "I don't feel well," she whimpered in an almost childlike manner. Luke wasn't sure he'd ever seen her like this.

"I know," he said, rubbing her shoulder. "I'll turn the boat around."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Don't sweat it," Luke said. "I'm not exactly feeling a hundred percent right now either."

Lorelai nodded and gripped onto his arm, but quickly sat up and bolted past him with one hand clasped over her mouth. He followed her into the cabin just in time to catch her hair back. "It's okay," he murmured, fighting down his own nausea. It was amazing to him how just being in the enclosed space could make him feel that much worse.

"I want to go home," she whispered, not turning to look at him.

"I'll take us home," he promised. "But Lorelai, I think you'll feel better outside."

She shook her head as she sank onto the floor. "Easy access," she said, pulling her knees to her chest.

"But the fresh air…"

"Luke!" she snapped, her eyes pleading with him. "Please, I know I'm ruining our honeymoon, but…" She paused and leaned over the toilet again, clutching her hair as she waited. After a moment, she sat back on her heels and muttered, "False alarm."

"I'll get us back as quickly as I can," he said. "But I think you'll feel better on deck."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "I love you for taking care of me, but the best thing you can do right now is get me back on solid ground," she requested. "Please."

Seeing the desperation in her eyes, Luke nodded and squeezed her hand. "Yell if you need me," he requested.

Without opening her eyes, Lorelai nodded. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he murmured. With a sigh, he pushed his own nausea aside and made quick work of raising the anchor. While this certainly wasn't how he'd planned on spending the evening, he only hoped that Lorelai would feel better once she was home.

XXXXX

"You're going to the doctor," Luke informed her a week later.

"Luke," she sighed from where she was rinsing her mouth out at their bathroom sink.

"I'm serious, Lorelai, this is worrying me sick," he insisted as he leaned against the counter beside her.

"Luke."

"My dad brushed it off as the flu and three months later he was gone, that's not happening to you."

" _Luke."_

"It's not up for debate, Lorelai, you're going to the damn doctor if I have to kidnap you and drag you in there kicking and screaming."

Knowing that he wasn't going to listen to what she had to say, Lorelai reached under the sink and pulled out a rectangular box, handing it out to him as he continued to rant.

"…be damned if I let this go, I'm not going to let anything happen…" Luke's voice trailed off as he looked down at the box of pregnancy tests she'd shoved into his hands. Suddenly speechless, he met her gaze with a combination of hope and surprise. "Are you?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged as she took the box back and popped it open. "We're about to find out," she said.

"Are you sure it's not something worse?" Luke frowned.

"No, but I've been sick for a week, and you're right," Lorelai said. "If it's not this, I need to see a doctor."

"If it _is_ this you need to see a doctor," Luke replied.

"Well, either way we need to know," Lorelai said. She looked at him pointedly. "This isn't a free show."

Snapping to attention, Luke nodded. "Right, sorry," he said, turning towards the door. He paused, then turned to reach for her hand. "You okay?" he asked.

Lorelai squeezed his hand. "Let's just say it better be positive to make ruining our honeymoon worth it," she said.

"I hope so," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Let me know when you're done."

A few moments later, Lorelai appeared in the doorway. She carefully laid down a piece of toilet paper on his night table and then placed the two plastic sticks on top of it. Silently, she sat down beside him and took his hand, running her thumb over his wedding ring.

"I'm nervous," she whispered.

"Me too."

"I want it to be positive."

"Me too."

She was quiet and she whispered, "I hate being so sick."

Luke let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her. "I hate seeing you so sick."

A tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm scared it's something bad," she admitted.

Luke's grip on her tightened and he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're calling the doctor in ten minutes either way," he murmured.

She nodded against his shoulder and allowed herself to stay nestled in his embrace for as long as she could stand. After a long moment, she squeezed his thigh and straightened, meeting his gaze evenly. "I love you," she whispered.

He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I love you too, beautiful girl."

A slight smile crossed her face at his nickname for her, and she turned to reach for the tests. She swallowed hard as she looked down at them, squeezing her eyes shut as she tightened her fist around them. A few tears slipped through, and she threw the tests to the floor before burying her face in her hands. "God, what the hell is wrong with me?" she asked, her tone muffled.

Luke ignored his own disappointment for the moment to pull her towards him. "We'll figure it out," he promised.

She shook her head, refusing to give in to his comfort. "Don't," she said. "Why can't I give you this one thing?"

"Let's not focus on that," he murmured. "If there's something else wrong with you, we need to know about it now."

Lorelai raised her head to meet his worried gaze, and she could see the fear in his eyes. She knew his experience of watching his father put off treatments, and wasn't going to put him through that again. "Hand me the phone," she said, trying to be brave for him. "I'll call the doctor."

Luke pressed a kiss to her forehead before he handed her the phone and watched her dial. The disappointment at the negative pregnancy test was quickly becoming overshadowed by his fears about what was actually making her so sick. It had been just over a year since they'd taken their final plunge into coupledom, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure this wasn't all they time they were going to have.

XXXXX

The following afternoon, Luke was at his wit's end. Lorelai had pleaded with him to let her go to the doctor on her own, and he'd reluctantly agreed. He'd spent the morning at the diner, but Cesar had boycotted his presence after he'd burned six burgers and literally thrown Kirk out the door. He had instead gone home and was now banging around the garage, telling himself that he was organizing his tools.

When he heard Lorelai's Jeep pull into the driveway, Luke bolted from the garage and had the driver's side door open before she'd even put the car into park. "What did they say?" he demanded.

Somewhat stunned by his sudden appearance, Lorelai's hand froze over the key, where she'd been reaching to turn the car off. "I'm okay," she promised.

"You're not okay," he said. "Why else would you have been so sick?"

Lorelai offered him a reassuring smile as she cut the engine. "Some sort of stomach virus," she said. "They gave me some anti nausea medicine and said I just have to let it run its course. If I'm still not feeling better in a week they want me to go back."

"That's it?" Luke frowned. "Maybe we should get a second opinion."

"Hey," Lorelai said, turning so she was sitting sideways in her seat. "I'm already feeling better. It was probably just a fluke thing. Maybe I picked it up when we babysat Doula a couple weeks ago, who knows? But the medicine's working, I promise."

He examined her closely. "What else did they say?" he asked.

"Nothing, really," she shrugged. "I don't have a fever, they're going to run an allergy test in case I'm building up some sort of food intolerance, but they're fairly certain it'll clear up in a few days."

"Okay," he sighed, letting out a sigh of relief.

Lorelai offered him a sympathetic smile. "If you let me out of the car I'll hug you," she offered.

"Sorry," he mumbled, suddenly realizing that he'd been effectively blocking her from getting out of the car. After he'd stepped back, she hopped down and slammed the door shut before she nestled herself into his arms. "I can't lose you."

"I know," she sighed into his neck.

His hands smoothed over her back. "You're really feeling okay?" he murmured into her hair.

"I feel a hundred times better," she assured him, and when she pulled back her eyes were sparkling. "Good enough to spend tonight thanking you for taking care of me."

His eyes darkened slightly, but remained concerned. "I don't know…" he started.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him deeply. "I promise I'd tell you if it was something," she whispered. "Really, Luke, I'm okay."

"Okay," he sighed, squeezing her shoulder tightly. "Okay."

Looking at him closely, Lorelai could tell that he needed reassurance. "Here," she said, handing him a folded piece of paper. "This is the official, doctor explanation of the virus. They lost me after about ten seconds, but I'm sure that daughter of yours could give you a detailed explanation of how this is very much not a big deal."

Luke took the paper and looked it over. With a frown at the long words with more letters and syllables than he thought possible, he nodded slowly. "If you're still sick in two days you're getting a second opinion," he stated.

"Okay," Lorelai said with a small smile.

"And you're not having any more coffee, not even decaf."

"Uh, I didn't agree to that."

"Lorelai," he said, his voice soft and pleading.

"Fine," she sighed. "But just until I'm done with the medicine. It'll be like an incentive."

Luke rolled his eyes, but he pulled her into another hug. "You have no idea how much I love you," he murmured.

She smiled as she stepped closer, wrapping her own arms around his waist. "I think I do," she replied. "I'm okay, Luke, I promise."

"Good," he whispered, pulling back to look at her. "Anything you want to do today…it's yours."

"You give me so much power," Lorelai said, her eyes wide with prospects. "Could I take a rain check? The medicine they gave me is making me a little sleepy. I kind of just want to lie down for a bit. Then we can paint the town."

"Sure," Luke said. "I'll come up to check on you in a bit."

"With a burger and fries?" she asked hopefully.

"Chicken soup, limited carrots," he countered.

"With Goldfish?"

"Crackers."

"Fine," Lorelai sighed. She started towards the porch, then turned to look at him. "Thanks for letting me do this on my own," she said.

He nodded. "I'm just glad you're okay," he replied.

She smiled and walked back to him, kissing him deeply. "Just let me rest for a bit, then you can take advantage of my slightly loopy mind," she confirmed.

Luke squeezed her hand. "Just focus on feeling all the way better," he requested.

"You got it," she promised with a soft smile.

XXXXX

"Happy Father's Day!"

Luke smiled sheepishly as Lorelai breezed into the kitchen a week and a half later. "You've already wished me a happy father's day," he said, then lowered his voice. "Twice."

She giggled and kissed his cheek. "Why are we whispering?" she asked, her tone matching his.

"I don't know," he laughed, his voice returning to its normal volume as he scraped the eggs he was cooking onto a plate and gestured to the table. "Breakfast?"

Lorelai sighed happily as she accepted the plate he offered and sat down at the table. "You know, you should think about doing this for a living," she said as he sat down beside her.

"I'll make a pro/con list after breakfast," he assured her.

Lorelai smiled as she swallowed a bite of bacon, then shoved her plate aside and crossed her arms, resting her elbows on the table as she watched him eat, a fond smile on her face. He ate his own breakfast slowly, his focus on the sports section before he felt her gaze on him. He looked up with a concerned frown and pointed toward her breakfast. "What's wrong? Don't like it?" he asked.

"No, it's delicious," Lorelai assured him. "I'm just…happy you're here. With me."

He smiled and reached for her hand. "Me too," he nodded. "That's it?"

"Yeah," Lorelai said, but she kept her gaze fixated on him as he continued to eat his breakfast. After a moment, she stood and walked to the counter, slipping an envelope out of her purse before she turned back to the table. Luke had refocused on the sports page and was shaking his head slightly. She knew the Red Sox must have lost the night before.

Briefly contemplating whether now was the best time to complete her plan, Lorelai returned to her chair and leaned towards him, resting her elbows on her knees. "Hey."

Luke turned to look at her again, his expression concerned, with a hint of impatience beginning to show. "What's up with you this morning?" he asked.

"I want to give you your fathers' day present now," she said, a smile spreading across her face.

He set his fork down and adjusted his hat on his head. "Lorelai, you didn't have to…"

"I know you hate gifts," Lorelai said. "And I was going to do this tonight, after I'd seduced you and we were in our little safe haven upstairs, but I can't wait."

"I don't need anything," he protested, but the happy smile on her face did spark some curiosity about what exactly she had up her sleeve.

"I know," she said. "But like it or not, it's here."

Without another word, she handed him the envelope she was clutching to him, biting her lower lip as she watched him take it dubiously. She watched his expression carefully, his gaze of uncertainty transforming to one of confusion, followed closely by realization and then hope. He looked up at her with an expression of childlike innocence, and she suddenly got a flash of what little boy Luke must have looked like.

"Lorelai," he whispered, looking at her carefully. "Is this real?"

She smiled as she stood, putting her hands on his shoulders and resting her chin on top of his right shoulder, reaching out to explain the contents of the envelope. "It's real," she said. "See, a name and date and everything, proof this is the real deal." Her voice was soft and calm.

"It's…a baby," he said in amazement.

"It's a baby," Lorelai confirmed. "See, this is my uterus. And that tiny white spot is your baby. That even smaller gray spot is her heart."

Luke remained frozen as he stared at the photo in his hand, completely thrown for a loop as he tried to process her words. Had it not been there, right in front of him in black and white, he might have thought someone was playing a joke on him. But in the upper right corner _Gilmore- Danes, Lorelai V._ was printed with the previous day's date right underneath it, leaving absolutely no question that his baby was, at this moment, growing inside of Lorelai. "A baby," he whispered, tracing his finger over the image.

Lorelai cleared her throat as she moved back to her chair, her hand moving down his shoulder to his hand, and it finally came to rest on his knee. Remembering Jackson's reaction to Sookie's first pregnancy, Lorelai was torn between wanting to give him time to process this information and pushing him to share his thoughts.

Finally, Luke looked up at her with a wide, uncharacteristic smile on his face. "A baby!" he exclaimed.

Lorelai returned his smile full on, squeezing his knee tightly. "You're happy?" she asked.

He responded by leaning forward, still clutching the picture in one hand as he cupped her face in the other. "Oh, Lorelai," he murmured before he kissed her deeply. "So happy."

"Good," she whispered, cradling his face as she kissed him again. "I know you don't like presents, but this one's here anyways."

"Best gift you could have given me," he promised, his thumb moving over her cheek.

"Damn, I'm never going to be able to top this, am I?" she asked, snapping her finger in mock irritation.

"Get over here," Luke tugged on her hand, causing her to giggle as he pulled her into his lap. She rested a hand on his chest as she leaned down to kiss him again. She smiled as she felt him break away from the kiss, his hand moving under her shirt to rest a hand on her stomach. He looked down at it, still flat as ever, then shook his head. "There's really a baby in there?" he asked.

"Not just any baby," she said. "Your baby."

"Our baby," Luke said, resting a chin on her shoulder. "God, Lorelai."

She kissed him one last time before she took his hand and led him into the living room. She pushed him to sit down on the couch, then sat down beside him, her legs tucked under her and elbows resting on her knees as she examined him. "You look like you need to talk," she commented.

"I…" Luke shook his head, trying to find words. "I think I'm in shock."

"Imagine my surprise, in for a check up after that stupid virus, when they come back and say they're referring me to an obgyn," Loreali commented. "I don't think I moved for an hour."

Luke cleared his throat as practical thought fought for presence in his mind and he turned to look at her. "How?" he asked.

Lorelai blinked in surprise, her quick wit surfacing immediately. "Well, there's this thing we've been doing, that you seem to enjoy, by the way, in which a certain part of your body…"

"No, I mean…the test you took was negative," Luke pointed out.

"Well, apparently we're part of that .1% that are the exception to the rule," Lorelai explained. "It was a false negative." She bit her lower lip as she examined him closely. "I'm sorry, Luke, I wasn't trying to hide it from you. I only found out yesterday, and I wanted to tell you, but with today being fathers' day, I thought it would be special."

"Don't be sorry, I'm not mad," he said quickly. He glanced down at the picture of their baby that was still clutched in his hand.

"That was just a preliminary ultrasound," she said. "I asked them to do it so I could tell you this way. I'm going in for a full check up and everything next week."

He nodded. "Just tell me when, I'll go with you," he promised.

"You don't have to," she said. "I know you hate doctors and…"

"I'm going with you," he said firmly. "This is our baby, Lorelai. I'm not missing a second of this."

"Thank you," she whispered. She shifted, moving closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder. She knew how much he regretted not getting to experience this with April, and she was glad he was so willing to be there for her. She'd done this alone with Rory, but she was thankful to have Luke with her this time around.

Suddenly, Luke stiffened against her. "This morning, when we were…when I was…did I hurt the baby?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head and smiled slightly. "No, hon." It was so _Luke_ to be worried about something like that. "We don't have to worry about pesky things like birth control or my monthly visitor anymore. We can do that as much as we want, and trust me, we will."

"You're sure it won't hurt her?" he asked hesitantly.

"She's fine," Lorelai promised.

"Okay," Luke said, letting out a sigh of relief. His hand fell to her knee, rubbing gently as he asked. "Did they say anything else?"

Lorelai shrugged slightly. "As much as I hate to admit it, my woman parts are a little past their glory days," she admitted. "They're going to keep an eye on things."

"Meaning what?" Luke asked, narrowing his eyes. "You got pregnant."

"Pretty proud of yourself there, huh, Cool Hand?" Lorelai asked, giggling at his self satisfied smirk. "Since I'm over that magical age of thirty five, everything is apparently scary and risky in regards to pregnancy."

"You're barely forty."

Lorelai shrugged. "Well, I was on the opposite end of the pregnancy bell curve last time," she reminded him. "I think they just want to make sure that these dried up, bottom of the basket eggs are going to produce babies that are just as pretty as the fresh ones of my teenage years."

"English?" Luke requested.

"They just want to make sure everything's okay," Lorelai explained. "So I have an appointment on Tuesday at 11."

"Okay," Luke said. "Are you…you know, feeling okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "The anti nausea medicine has been helping. I don't foresee any overnight trips out on the boat anytime soon, but I haven't had an overwhelming desire to eat apples. I'm also confident that I could fit into my cotillion dress if I tried."

"You had a cotillion?" Luke asked doubtfully.

"Nope, Rory saved me from that mess," Lorelai replied. "Society frowns on pregnant teenagers being presented to them as ladies."

"Did you tell her yet?" Luke asked.

"Of course not," Lorelai replied. "I had to tell you first."

"We need to tell her and April," Luke replied.

Lorelai smiled softly. "Let's hold off until after the doctor, okay?" she requested. "They're going to have questions, and we'll have answers after our appointment. Plus, I kind of like the fact that we're the only ones who know. Just for a couple days, please, Luke?"

He smiled and rubbed her knee gently. "Sure," he said. "Whatever you want."

"Thanks," Lorelai said. "Plus, Rory's probably going to avoid me until I've given birth. She's still not exactly fond of pregnancy."

"Good," Luke said firmly. "I hope it stays that way."

Lorelai smiled at his protective streak, then reached for the picture in his hand. "She's pretty perfect, isn't she?"

Luke looked at Lorelai as she examined the small spot that was their baby. "Just like her mother," he murmured. He watched her with a newfound sense of…love? Admiration? Respect? He'd had all those things in abundance for his wife just an hour before, but now something was different with the knowledge that she was growing their baby. He watched as she gently pushed her hair behind her ear in a familiar gesture and turned to look at him with sparkling eyes, happiness written across her features. She was still so her, so completely _Lorelai,_ but the secret they were now sharing was making his feelings for her even stronger.

Trailing his fingers over her stomach, he murmured, "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Lorelai whispered.

Trying to stop himself from becoming over emotional, Luke offered her a smirk. "I wasn't talking to you," he teased.

She gasped and shoved his hand away from her stomach. "You know, I control her," she said, wrapping her hand over her stomach. "You're mean to me, you're mean to her."

"I'm kidding," Luke said, tugging her arm back to him. "I love you both."

"You better," Lorelai muttered. "Because otherwise you're in for a long few months."

Realizing he had a lot to learn in regards to exactly what Lorelai would be going through for the sake of his baby, Luke offered her a smile. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

XXXXX

Two days later, Lorelai sat on an uncomfortable examination table, a sheet covering her bare lower half as she dangled her legs over the edge slowly. Her eyes followed Luke as he paced the doctor's office, his hand on his hips, unsure exactly where to stand.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm just feeling a little bit helpless here."

"I think your job is mostly done," Lorelai informed him. "You got the fun part."

"I just want to know you're both okay," he said. "I want to see the baby, and if there's a problem, I want to know so we can deal with it."

"Me too," Lorelai agreed. "It's okay to be nervous, Luke."

"I'm not nervous," Luke denied. She raised her eyebrows, her look challenging him, and he threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, I'm terrified," he relented.

"Hey," she reached for his arm as he passed her, pulling him to stand in front of her. She smiled at him gratefully. "I'm really glad you're here." She'd gone to all of her appointments during her first pregnancy alone, purposely scheduling them around her mother's DAR obligations and Christopher's sporting schedule so she could figure things out on her own. This time she was incredibly appreciative to have the support of the man beside her.

"I'll be here," he promised. "For this whole, thing, every appointment, I'll be here with you."

"Thank you," she whispered. She bit her lip slightly, then requested, almost shyly, "Just stay by my head?"

He nodded in agreement. "You got it."

They were interrupted by an abrupt knock on the door, and a petite woman with short brown hair walked in and offered them a smile. "Lorelai, good to see you again," she said. "You must be the father," she said to Luke. "I'm Dr. Morgan."

"Luke Danes," he nodded, reaching out to shake her hand before he returned to Lorelai's side.

"Alright, I see your levels are looking good." Dr. Morgan put down Lorelai's chart and then washed her hands before she pulled on a pair of medical gloves. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," Lorelai nodded. "Not as nauseous, but I've been tired."

"That's normal," the doctor assured her. "Today I'd like to do a full pelvic exam, then run another ultrasound. I know you had one last week, but I'd like to see everything for myself. I'll also look at the size of the fetus and determine estimated conception and due dates for you."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded. She almost laughed at the combination of uncertainty and uneasiness on Luke's face as she leaned back on the table. As she placed her feet in the stirrups, she tried not to feel self conscious or embarrassed by his presence in the room for this.

"You're going to feel a little pressure," the doctor said sympathetically, and Luke whipped around to face Lorelai's head, his eyes focused intently on a spot near the ceiling. A giggle managed to escape her lips as she watched his ears turn bright red, but then she tensed and let out a soft wince.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked, not moving his head as his eyes darted towards her.

"Yeah, just part of the process," Lorelai said, tensing uncomfortably. "You would think I'd be the more uncomfortable one in this situation."

"We get a lot of nervous dads through here," Dr. Morgan said as she scooted her stool back. "Everything looks okay so far. Are you ready to see your baby?"

Lorelai nodded with a smile, then tugged on Luke's hand. "This is the good part," she said. "Hold my hand?" She knew it was needy and cliché to be in this position, clutching hands when they first saw their baby, but she didn't care. Past Lorelai wouldn't have made that request and would be mocking her mercilessly for doing so now. But they'd waited a long time for this moment, and she was determined to take advantage of Luke's presence in her life, which meant keeping him close during this moment.

Luke smiled and laced his fingers through hers, clearly needing the connection just as much as she did.

"Okay, since it's so early, we're going to do this vaginally," Dr. Morgan stated, preparing the tool. "Get ready to feel a little pressure."

Lorelai's grip on Luke's hand tightened as she tensed, but this time he didn't let go of her hand or break eye contact with her. "Consider this practice," she said to him.

"Okay, here we go," Dr. Morgan said, pointing to a screen beside them. "Here's your uterus, Lorelai, and right here," she pointed to a small flicker. "Is your baby. That flutter you see is the heartbeat."

Lorelai smiled widely as she looked at the screen, shaking Luke's hand back and forth excitedly. "Hi, baby," she whispered.

"Placenta's in a good position," the doctor continued. "And based on your levels and the size of the fetus, I'm going to give you an approximate conception date of April 28, meaning you're about six weeks along."

Lorelai turned to look at Luke with raised eyebrows. "I guess the after party on my birthday was even better than we thought at the time," she said.

A comment that normally would have made Luke blush in the presence of others was passed over as Luke leaned over her to admire the screen. "Six weeks," he focused on the doctor's words. "So we're looking at what…January?"

"Mid to late January," the doctor confirmed. "I'll come up with a more exact date when we're done here."

"Okay," Lorelai said. She turned to Luke, who was gripping her hand as he stared at the screen. "You okay?" she asked.

"I think I need to sit down."

"Oh, um…there's a chair over there," Lorelai said.

"Use the extra stool," Dr. Morgan nodded, nudging it towards him with her foot. "Like I said, we get a lot of nervous dads in here."

Luke didn't let go of his grip on Lorelai's hand or move his gaze from the screen, but he dropped onto the stool with a thud, and his expression was one that Lorelai found difficult to read. Finally, she saw his lips start to tug into a hint of a smile and she turned her own head back to the screen, watching their baby's image closely.

"Oh my god," she whispered when Dr. Morgan zoomed in on the image of the screen to focus solely on the baby. It didn't quite resemble a baby yet, but the heartbeat was flashing steadily across the screen, and after a moment the figure rotated slightly, the first movements they'd ever see their child make.

"Oh, wow," Luke whispered so softly she almost didn't hear him.

"Any questions?" Dr. Morgan asked gently.

"No," Lorelai murmured, and Luke shook his head as well.

"Okay, take one last look," the doctor said. "I'll print you some copies."

"Thank you," Lorelai said, waving her free hand at the screen. "Bye, baby. Keep growing in there."

Luke inhaled sharply beside her and Lorelai could tell that it was taking everything inside of him to control his emotions in front of the doctor.

"Okay, the development looks pretty good," Dr. Morgan said as she sat back and Lorelai pushed herself back into a sitting position. "You should come back in about six to eight weeks for another check up as you enter your second trimester. I'll leave you with some reading material to go over, especially given your age."

Lorelai made a face. "I think that's doctor code for old, and I don't like it," she declared.

"Not old," Dr. Morgan shook her head with a smile. "But women your age do show some patterns in pregnancy, all of which we'll look out for. Chromosomal abnormalities, preeclampsia, and multiples are the most common occurrences."

"Multiples?" Luke's head snapped up. "As in…more than one baby?"

"Now he talks," Lorelai muttered. "Hon, this kid's flying solo. We just got proof of that."

Luke relaxed slightly, but ran a hand over his neck as he looked at the doctor. "The other stuff… I don't know what they are, but they sound bad," he ventured, not sure how to phrase his question.

"There are more risks for women Lorelai's age," the doctor answered honestly. "We'll run some tests later on. But for now, I want to offer you my sincere congratulations. Everything looks to be wonderfully on track, the fetus is a healthy size, and the heartbeat is strong. You have every reason to look forward to a healthy pregnancy. We'll take good care of you, Lorelai."

"Thank you," she said earnestly.

"I'll leave a prescription for some vitamins that you can pick up with your ultrasound pictures when you make your next appointment," Dr. Morgan said with a smile. "I'll see you in the fall. Have a great summer."

The door closed softly behind her, and Lorelai turned to smile at Luke. "You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, nodding as he smiled at her.

"It's okay to freak out," Lorelai assured him.

"I'm not freaking out," he defended.

"Okay," she replied. "Hand me my skirt?"

He walked over to the chair where he'd neatly folded her skirt and underwear, then handed them to her. As she began to dress, he turned to face the wall in an attempt to give her a semblance of privacy. "You know you watch me do this every day," she commented.

"At home," he added. "Not here."

Lorelai smiled as she walked to the chair where her heels were resting and sat down to pull them on. "I know doctors make you nervous, Luke," she said softly. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that you were here for this."

"Thank you."

She looked up from smoothing out her skirt. "What?" she asked.

"Thank you," Luke repeated, moving to crouch before her. She gasped when she saw tears uncharacteristically filling his eyes. For a moment, she flashed back to a warm summer night the year before, when she'd first seen him so raw and exposed as they'd hashed out where their relationship had gone wrong.

"For what?" she repeated, reaching out to rest her hands on his shoulders.

"You're giving me a baby, Lorelai," he murmured, his hands resting on her knees. "A _baby._ Thank you doesn't even begin to fit what I want to say to you right now."

"I want this too," she reminded him, hooking a finger under his chin to lift his gaze to hers.

"I know," he said, shaking his head slightly. "But seeing our baby and knowing that _you_ are the one who's going to bring her into the world, to be the mother of my child is just an incredible thought. I know we have the girls and we talked about this happening, but I don't think I fully understood what it would feel like. This is…thank you."

She smiled softly as she rubbed his shoulder. "You're welcome," she said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Lorelai," he murmured, wrapping her arms tightly around her and burying his head in her lap. "So much."

Lorelai was taken aback by this emotional man before her, unsure of where her husband had gone. She'd only seen him like this once before, and she wrapped her arms around him as she'd done then, rubbing her hands over his back for a moment before she whispered, "Luke, you're scaring me a little."

"I'm sorry," he stated, pulling back and adjusting his hat on his head nervously.

"Don't be sorry," she murmured. "I'm just worried. You're not acting like…you."

Her cleared his throat as he stood and put his hands on his hips. "It's just a lot, you know?" he admitted. "I love our girls, but this is new for me."

Lorelai stood to meet his gaze. "It's been awhile since I've done this too," she reminded him. "We'll figure this out together."

He nodded and offered her a smile. "You feeling okay?" he asked.

"For now," she confirmed. "She better be really cute for how sick she's been making me."

Luke squeezed her hand and led her towards the reception area. He remained close to her as she made accommodations for her next appointment and received a folder filled with information. As they walked out of the clinic, he wrapped his arm around her waist and let his finger graze over her stomach, just above her hip. Lorelai smiled up at him and commented, "You're pretty handsy today, Butch."

"Sorry," he murmured and started to move away.

"I like it," she insisted, pulling his hand back to where it was. "I'm so happy we're finally here."

"Me too," Luke sighed. "I hope she doesn't keep making you sick. You deserve to enjoy this."

"I do deserve all good things in life," Lorelai confirmed in an entitled voice. "Including having your baby. You deserve to be happy too. I know it's scary, but let yourself enjoy this."

Luke sighed and tightened his grip around her. "I don't know what came over me in there," he said softly.

"I do," Lorelai said, stopping on the sidewalk and turning him to look at her. She pulled a picture of their baby out of the folder she was carrying. "It's called parenting. What you're feeling is the unconditional love, worry, anticipation, joy, and complexity that is part of being a parent. You know that."

He ran a hand over his face and looked down at his feet. "It's different than when I found out about April," he admitted. "She was already…April when I met her."

"I know," Lorelai said softly.

"I didn't expect this to be so powerful," he continued.

Lorelai nodded and took his hand, leading him to sit with her on a bench near the gazebo. "I get it," she said. "That protective streak I have for Rory, it came the second I found out about her. Before I even knew she was a she. That's why I didn't get married, that's why I ran away. It was scary and hard, but I wanted what was best for her. Contrary to what my mother would say, I didn't do any of it for me. I did it because I wanted better for her."

Luke played with the sleeve of his flannel for a minute. "It's not that I love this kid more than April," he admitted. "Or Rory. But it's different."

"Of course it is," Lorelai said with a smile. "I love the girls too. But this baby is _ours._ We won't have to deal with father abandonment issues or custody agreements with this one. We won't have to share her. I won't love her more than either of the girls, but we've waited a long time for her. We've planned for her. I love her…differently. Not more or less, just differently."

"Differently," Luke agreed with a slow nod. "I guess that's what it is. I'm not used to feeling like this."

"Happy? Nervous? Worried? Hopeful?" Lorelai guessed.

"All of the above," Luke nodded. "Three times over."

"That," Lorelai said, tapping her finger against the picture. "Will never go away. All of it hit me one March day in 1984 and never left. You're right, it's triple now what it was then."

Luke's fingers hovered over the hem of her summer tank top, letting a finger brush against the skin of her stomach. "It's just so unbelievable," he murmured.

"For now," Lorelai agreed, trying to lighten the mood. "Wait until I'm fat and have crazy food cravings. That will make it believable."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You once made me watch you eat marshmallows dipped in peanut butter," he reminded her.

She giggled and nudged him. "Maybe my cravings will be for salad and tofu," she tried to comfort him.

"Doubtful," he muttered.

"Last time it was apples, so don't brush it off so fast," she advised, running a hand over his leg. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"It's okay to be emotional sometimes," she said. "This is a huge change for us. I want you to tell me if you're nervous."

"I will," he promised. "I have a lot to learn."

"I've got some brushing up to do myself," Lorelai said. "And we've got to tell the girls."

"You think they'll be happy?" he asked.

Lorelai nodded. "My prediction is that April will immediately begin researching fetal development," she said. "I'm expecting weekly reports about what our baby looks like every Monday morning."

"You're probably right," Luke nodded. "What about Rory?"

"She'll be excited," Lorelai nodded. "But she'll probably avoid getting within a yard's radius of me until this kid is clean and swaddled."

"She better not get any ideas," Luke grumbled.

Lorelai patted his leg. "She really likes Ethan, Luke," she said softly.

"She's too young."

"Uh, when I was her age I had an eight year old," Lorelai reminded him. "And you were getting another woman pregnant. She's plenty old enough."

"Fine, but she's not _ready,"_ Luke countered.

"That, I'll agree with," Lorelai said. "But when we meet him, you'll be nice."

"I'm always nice."

Lorelai scoffed, and quickly covered it with a cough. "Do I need to remind you of the Bop It incident?" she asked.

"I was right."

"In your intentions, absolutely," Lorelai confirmed. "Your carry out? Not so much."

He sighed and brushed a hand over her stomach. "Can we keep her in there forever?" he murmured.

"Unless you're planning on swapping bodies, no," Lorelai said. "Nine months is long enough."

"Seven and a half to go," Luke offered.

She beamed up at him. "We should go call the girls," she suggested softly.

"Why now?" he asked.

"Well, Patty's been watching us for about half an hour now," Lorelai reported. "She just went in to get her phone. Considering the fact that your hand hasn't left my stomach, she's probably already figured out our secret."

He sighed and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. "We're really going to raise another kid in this crazy town?" he asked.

"You turned out okay, so did Rory," Lorelai said.

With a sigh, he stood and pulled her with him. "Let's go," he said.

Lorelai fell into step beside him. "We really should stop calling her a her," she said. "Maybe you're getting a boy."

"I'll be happy with either one."

"Me too," Lorelai said.

"We've been calling her a her since before we even thought about trying," he said.

"Unless you've got some superpower, that doesn't guarantee anything."

He smiled as they climbed their porch steps. As she pushed the door open, he stated, "As long as he or she is healthy, I'll be happy."

"Don't forget smart," Lorelai said, automatically going to the kitchen and turning on the coffee pot.

"Athletic."

"Pretty."

Luke smirked and trailed his fingers over her stomach. "I hope you're listening," he murmured.

"Already giving orders, excellent," Lorelai smiled, but gasped when he reached around her to flip the coffee machine off. "Luke!"

"No more."

"A little?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Let's call Rory."

"This isn't over," she informed him as she followed him onto the back porch and sat down beside him on the swing.

Luke ignored her as he dialed the phone and placed it on speaker phone, resting it on the arm of the swing as Lorelai rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hello?"

"Lorelai Gilmore, it's been three days since we've talked!" Lorelai exclaimed into the phone.

"You're the one who was too busy to talk when I called to wish Luke a happy Fathers' Day."

Lorelai's eyes met Luke's, and he nodded at her as he laced his fingers through hers. "Want to know the real reason I couldn't talk?" she asked.

"You mean you _weren't_ in New York filming an episode of Law and Order?" Rory gasped in surprise.

"Nope, they keep telling me I'm too pretty," Lorelai said. "Truth is, your brother or sister was making Mommy sick."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Lorelai suddenly felt guilt and panic rise inside of her. She'd thought Rory would have been okay with a new baby, but maybe she'd miscalculated. "Rory?"

"You're pregnant?" Rory's voice was quiet and childlike, and Lorelai squeezed her eyes closed. There were moments she still couldn't believe her daughter was no longer four years old, gap toothed and skipping through the inn.

"That's the word on the street."

"With a baby?"

"No, a dog."

"Mom!"

"Yes, it's a human baby," Lorelai promised.

"Oh my god!" Rory exclaimed. "A baby! How? When?"

Lorelai's eyes began to sparkle as they met Luke's. "Well, after my birthday part Luke decided he just had to have me…."

"The baby will be here in January," Luke interrupted his wife, saving his stepdaughter from whatever details Lorelai was about to share.

"Oh my god, Luke, you're going to be a dad!" Rory cried. "I mean, again. This is so exciting!"

"You're really okay with it?" Luke asked, and Lorelai's hormonal heart swelled at the concern he showed for her daughter.

"Of course!" Rory exclaimed. "I can't wait to see her! Mom, we have to make sure that she gets a Christmas stocking!"

Lorelai laughed. "I've got time," she said. "God, Rory, I can't wait to see you."

"Me either," Rory said with a sigh. "Things are picking up on the trail, I don't know when I'll be able to see you."

At the disappointed look in Lorelai's eyes, Luke stated, "Maybe we can meet you somewhere before April gets here."

Lorelai's eyes lit up. "Yeah, before I get too fat to ride in a car," she said.

"Hey, Luke, make sure you get pictures of that," Rory requested.

"You know there's more competition for which kid is my favorite now," Lorelai informed her daughter. "And it's not looking so good for you right now."

"I'll sneak you coffee."

"And you're my favorite again!" Lorelai declared.

"I'm so happy," Rory said sincerely. "You guys really deserve this."

"Thanks, Rory," Luke said. He squeezed Lorelai's knee and handed her the phone, offering her a smile as she stepped back into the house.

"I wish you were here," she said honestly.

"Me too," Rory sighed. "I'll be home after the election for a bit."

"Until you get a job."

Rory was quiet, then said, "I'll visit when I can."

"I wish I could have given you this sooner," Lorelai admitted. "A dad, a sibling, a real one. Of each."

"I'm just glad you'll have Luke," Rory said. "I know how hard you've worked, I'm glad you're happy."

"Thanks, babe," Lorelai said. "And all joking aside, you know that this baby could never replace you, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Rory said. "We've been through too much together for a baby to come between us."

Lorelai smiled. "How's Ethan?" she asked.

"He's good," Rory said. "He wants to meet you."

"As he should," Lorelai said. "E-mail me your schedule, we'll see if we can find a place to meet before the end of the summer."

"Only if you e-mail me a picture of my sister."

"Or brother."

"Don't joke," Rory gasped.

"It's no joke, Luke's boys control the gender," Lorelai stated. "He could have tried for a boy."

"I don't think that's how it works."

"Says the girl who knows so much about pregnancy."

"I'm getting better!"

"You better be, because it's going to be a pretty frequent topic of conversation," Lorelai sighed. "I've got to go, your sibling is using my bladder as a trampoline."

"Bye, Mom," Rory said. "I love you."

"I love you too, favorite daughter," Lorelai said. She punched the phone off and headed towards the bathroom, marveling at the changes that were already taking over her body. Not only had the man who had coined the term "morning sickness" been declared a complete moron in her book, but she'd doubled her trips to the restroom.

When she returned to the porch, Luke was still seated on the swing and was flipping through some of the pamphlets they'd received from the doctor that afternoon. She smiled as she watched him for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration as he focused on a flier that highlighted early pregnancy development.

"Studying for the quiz?" she asked as she took her spot beside him.

Surprised by her presence, he looked towards her and pointed at the paper. "You know she already has kidneys?" he asked.

Lorelai smiled at his enthusiasm. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, turning back to the paper. "And she's about the size of a raspberry."

Lorelai glanced down at her stomach. "Won't be long before she starts making herself known," she said softly. She watched him read for another moment before she slid the paper out of his hands. "Let's call April."

With a small smile, he nodded and reached out to press a hand to her stomach. "She's moving, you know," he said.

Her eyes danced with joy as the phone rang on April's end of the line. "Hello?" she answered on the third ring.

"Hey, kid, it's us," Luke said.

"Hi, April!"

"Hey!" her voice perked up. "So I sent a box of stuff to your house this morning. When it comes, can you just put it in my room? The books need to be organized in a very specific way, not just placed on any old shelf in a random order."

"Sorry, I should have known better," Lorelai sighed. "Your dad will have to do the heavy lifting though."

April giggled. "He always does," she said.

Lorelai raised her eyebrows at Luke, who cleared his throat and said, "Well, she has a good excuse this time. Pregnant women shouldn't be lifting boxes of books around."

"Pregnant!" April squealed. "Oh my god, finally!"

Lorelai giggled. "Same reaction I had," she stated.

"And I'll be there!" April cried. "When will it be here?"

"January," Lorelai replied.

"Okay, I'll start tracking a growth log," April said. "Are you taking vitamins? I knew this would come soon, so I started researching. You should really be taking vitamins so the baby will be born with the nutrients it needs. It'll also help when you start producing breastmilk…"

"Okay, enough," Luke interrupted. "Are you okay with this, April?"

"I'm so excited!" she said. "I always wanted a sibling."

"And we'll have a built in baby sitter," Lorelai said. "So thanks for that."

"When's your due date?" April asked.

"January 23rd," Luke informed her.

"Uh huh," April said distractedly. "And the approximate conception date?" she asked professionally.

"Sweetie, you're going to have to filter your questions when your dad's around," Lorelai said, taking in Luke's embarrassed expression. "You know he's not tough like us."

"I just want to see if the due date is reasonable."

"The doctors know what they're talking about, kid," Luke promised. "Let us worry about the details, okay? You just spend some time with your mom before you come out here."

"Can I tell her?" April asked.

Lorelai shrugged at Luke, who ran a hand over his hat. "If you want," he said. "She'll find out eventually."

"Okay," April said. "I'm going to go get some child development books from the library. Lorelai, I'll e-mail you a list of dietary restrictions."

"Professionals beat you to it," Lorelai confirmed. "But thanks."

"No problem!" April cried. "Dad?"

Luke nodded and pushed himself off the swing, holding the phone to his ear as he wandered into the backyard. Lorelai watched him for a moment before she reached for the abandoned pile of papers beside her. She pushed aside the papers about fetal development and picked up one about how her own body was about to change. She hadn't realized she was pregnant with Rory until further along in her pregnancy, and that had been a long time ago.

Frowning at the list of symptoms that seemed somewhat disgusting and very uncomfortable, Lorelai sighed. She wasn't sixteen anymore, and she was again washed with relief that Luke would be here for her. She probably could have done this alone again, but she certainly didn't want to.

With a smile, she saw Luke climb up the steps and held up a light blue pamphlet. "I'm surprised you didn't go for this one first," she said with a smirk.

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm still not convinced it's safe," he said softly.

"Well, get convinced, because I'm about to get crazed by sex hormones," Lorelai said. "And last time there was no one to scratch that itch."

"Figures," Luke muttered. He sighed and patted her knee. "I guess I'll be able to help you out."

She giggled and dropped the pile of papers onto the ground. "I know it will be hard for you," she played along.

A smirk came across his lips. "Incredibly hard," he confirmed.

"Dirty!" she gasped, then leaned in to kiss him.

"Is this really happening?" he murmured against her lips.

"It is," she said with a confident nod.

"I can't believe this," Luke whispered. "A year ago we were so broken."

She leaned in to rest her head against his shoulder. "We were on the mend," she said. "I do believe it was just about a year ago today that you built Rory a basketball court and taught her how to play."

"You still hadn't even bonded with April."

"But you'd promised me I would," Lorelai said. "We were okay, Luke. Not like we are now, but we needed last summer. To get back to where we needed to be. To bring this little girl or guy into the world."

"I hate that we didn't get it sooner," he admitted.

Lorelai was quiet, her foot propelling the swing into a gentle rocking motion. "Part of me hates it too," she agreed. "But another part of me is grateful. Imagine if we'd had a baby sooner. After that party, or right after you found out about April. We were such a mess back then, tip toeing around each other for fear of scaring the other one off. Things are so much better now, so much more real."

He kissed the top of her head. "They are," he agreed.

"Let's have fun this summer," Lorelai requested. "We've never had that."

"What?"

"A fun, sexy summer together," Lorelai said. "Last year we were becoming us, we spent a summer separated by the entire distance of New England, one was kind of okay, but Rory was gone, and one we just don't speak of. Before April moves in and the baby comes, we should just have fun."

"We can do that," Luke nodded.

"I'll see if I can stand the boat without getting sick," Lorelai said uncertainly.

"If not, no big deal," Luke shrugged. "There's plenty of other stuff we can do."

"Ski diving!"

"No," Luke placed a hand over her stomach.

"It will be so fun!"

"Then do it after you've had my baby."

She sighed dramatically. "We never did get that honeymoon," she said.

"It's okay."

"We could drive to Maine," she suggested. "I honestly don't know if I could stand the boat for that long, not because I don't like it, but the waves might be too rough for the baby."

"I know, it's okay," Luke said.

"But let's drive!" Lorelai said. "Come on, Luke, a road trip would be so fun! We could still spend some time up there, and you could fish while I lie around in the sun."

Luke nodded as a smile tugged at his lips. "That does sound good," he said.

"Let's do it," she pleaded.

"We will," he promised. After a beat, he said, "April needs a uniform."

"She can try Rory's on."

"We need to decorate the nursery."

"We will."

He was quiet, then said, "We need a better car."

Lorelai squeezed her eyes shut. "Will you buy me a milkshake on the way home?" she asked quietly.

"I'll buy you anything you want," he promised.

"The rights to all of Blondie's music?" Lorelai asked hopefully.

"Anything a sane person would use."

She smiled, then turned her attention to the setting sun. Through the clear summer evening, she could see the lake beginning to sparkle through the trees. "I'm so proud of us," she admitted. "We did it."

Luke stood and walked to the corner of the porch, resting his elbows against the railing as he stared across the yard. His gaze landed on the chuppah he'd built for her, and lingered there. "You're happy, right?" he asked.

"Oh, Luke," she breathed, standing quickly and moving to his side. "So happy."

"Good," his jaw clenched. "That's all I ever wanted."

She smiled and tugged on his arm, turning him to face her. "You're happy too?" she asked, her eyes reading his expression carefully.

Inhaling sharply, Luke leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Happier than ever," he promised.

"Come here," Lorelai said, reaching down to take his hand. She dragged him through the kitchen and into the living room, swiping their ultrasound picture off the fridge as she passed it. She turned to the scrapbook she'd made for his wedding gift and set it down on the coffee table. Wordlessly, she opened it from the back cover, flipping to the newest page.

Luke met her gaze as she lifted her eyes, and he swallowed heavily. "This is it," she said quietly. "The next part of our story. We've done so much together, Luke. We've been friends and lovers, we've fought and made up. We learned to love together, we learned how to really share a life with each other. And now we're going to do this, bring a life into the world. _Together._ I can't tell you how happy I am that it's _you_ I'm doing this with."

Luke nodded and reached out to run his hand through her hair, wrapping his fingers around a curl. "Me too, beautiful girl," he murmured.

Lorelai leaned into him. "I love you so much," she admitted.

"I love you too," he assured her.

A single happy tear escaped down her cheek. "I still get a thrill," she breathed. "I used to dream of hearing you say that. You say it every day now, and I still get that sense of wonder when you say it."

"I get it," he replied. "Waking up beside you every day is still astounding to me."

"So it was worth it then?" Lorelai asked. "The fights and the tears and the insecurities? Pushing through all of that was worth it to be right here, married with two beautiful, successful daughters and baby we won't have to share with anyone else?"

"So worth it," he nodded. Without another word, he stood and disappeared into the library, reappearing a moment later with a roll of her scrapbooking tape.

Lorelai smiled as she tore of a piece and attached it to the back of the picture of their baby. Silently, she attached the picture to the next page in the scrapbook, still labeled with the post it that read, _Victoria Danes, birth date to be determined._ Lorelai took a pen off the table and wrote a message underneath the ultrasound, then slid it across the table for Luke to see.

 _Baby's first picture, June 16, 2008._

"Wow," he breathed. He turned to look at her with a smile. "We're having a baby."

She beamed, flushing slightly at the exciting thought. "We're having a baby," she echoed. "You ready for this, Danes?"

"I am if you are, Gilmore Danes."

She leaned in to seal their deal with the kiss. "Luke?" she whispered against his lips.

"Hmm?" his hand trailed over her hip.

"Thank you," she whispered, pulling back to look into his eyes. "I…thank you."

With the darkened expression that always told Lorelai how much he loved and cherished her, Luke reached out to run his finger over her lips. "I just like to see you happy," he reminded her.

In response, Lorelai threw herself into her husband's arms and kissed him deeply, determined to show him exactly how happy he made her.

* * *

 **So, there we go! Luke and Lorelai have worked through their issues, made a life together, and are getting their baby. The point of this story was to get them back to where they both wanted to be, so I'm going to end it here.**

 **I am toying with the idea of a companion story to document Lorelai's pregnancy and the birth of their baby. If you're interested, chime in with a review!**

 **Thank you to all of you who have read this story. It's been a fantastic way to distract myself from waiting until November, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**


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